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03 



RELICS OF THE REVOLUTION 

THE STORY OF THE DISCOVERY 

OF THE BURIED REMAINS OF MILITARY LIFE 

IN FORTS AND CAMPS ON 

MANHATTAN ISLAND 



By 

REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON 

Trustee of 

The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society 

Member of 

The New York Historical Society 

The City History Club, Etc. 

Author of 

" The Defense and Reduction o( Mount Washington " 

"The Indians of Washington Heights," Etc. 



WITH MILITARY NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS 

CONTRIBUTED BY 
W. L. CALVER AND JOHN WARD DUNSMORE 



Published by the Author 
55 Liberty Street. New York 

1916 






Copyright, 1916 
REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON 






>JI.A4 188^8 



FEB 12 1916 



To my fellow laborers 

William L. Calver 
John Ward Dunsmore 
Edward Hagaman Hall 



PREFACE 

The iiifoniiiitiuu which has been secured by the explorations 
which are herein described, has established the character, as well 
as the location of most of the fortified places and camps of the 
troops of the contending Armies of the Revolution, on and around 
the northern portion of the Island of Manhattan, and comparison 
of the facts and objects disclosed by the work, with historical 
records, has resulted in some addition to our knowledge of the 
difficulties and dangei's of that interesting period in our country's 
history. 

The work has been conducted for its own reward, the establish- 
ment of historical fact, the preservation of valuable remains, and 
the enjoyment and instruction of the ptiblic. 

The work has been productive, as we have reason to believe, of 
practical and far-reaching value in the interest it has awakened 
in the historic past of our city in a largo Tuimbcr of our citizens, 
old and young, an interest which caiuiot fail of l)cnpficial effects in 
promoting the gi-owth of patriotism and good citizenship. 

The work has attracted hundreds of visitors, has interested and 
informed nunibor.s of children, has provided a theme for many 
newspaper articles, and the exhibition of tlio poor nisted objects 
in public places has proved a source of keen interest to thovisands 
of visitors from all parts of our coimtry. 

In these saddened days of world warfare and misery, it would 
indeed be a misfortune and one that the circle of workers would 
greatly deplore, if the results of their labor, and the interest 
evoked thereby should lead to any increased martial spirit or any 
approval of war as a means of settlement of even a righteous 
cause. 

To all true Americans we believe the vision that we have helped 
to open, of some of the events of the strenuous throes of our dear 



Preface 

country's liberty, will be welcome not only as a reminder of our 
forefathers' detenniiiation and suffering, but as an illustration of 
the futility of warfare and oppression. 

The Kingsbridge road ia bright to-day, 
Bedecked with nature's colors gay, 
The yellow dust upon the sod 
Is but the gold of goldenrod. 

The hills around once more are green, 
As when with other eyes were seen 
Within this steep and narrow gorge 
The royal banners of King George. 

The sleepy tide by llarlcni's plain 
Ebbs southward, but returns again; 
So came the soldiers, dim and gray. 
That here made fight one bygone day. 

On yonder height, where clings the pine, 
Was massed the Continental line; 
'Twas there with fire ami musket crack 
The armies struggled forth and back. 

Perchance by night the battle train 
Storms, fights, and then retreats again. 
Perchance the pines hide misty hosts. 
With sentries wan and picket ghosts. 

Long silenced is their warlike shout; 

Their drums are stilled, their lights are out; 

And few remember those who trod 

Above the green and springing sod. 

Yet they are here. In trenches deep, 
Yankee and Hessian soldiers sleep. 
The kindly earth is their abode; 
God rest them by the Kingsbridge road! 

John James Mejehan. 



CONTENTS 



I. The Search fur Kclics 9 

II. liemiiulers of the Revolution 18 

III. The Amoriian .\nny on the Heights .lO 

IV. The British and Hessian Armies on the Heights 40 

V. Washington's lleaikiuarters and the Canij) of the 3Sth Foot Regi- 
ment 49 

\'l. Camp of the Miisl^eteer Regiment von Donop 60 

\ 11. The Van Oblienis Farm 64 

\'I1I. Fort Washington, or Foi-t Knyphaiiseu 74 

IX. Barracks of the Toit Washington (Jarrisun 85 

X. The Hessian Hut Camp 102 

XI. Laurel Hill, laler Fort George 109 

XII. Fort Tryon, or Forest Hill 121 

XIII. The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 129 

XIV. The Hut Camp of the Seventecntli Regiment of Foot 143 

XV. The Hut Camp on the Hycliman Farm 167 

XVI. Holland's Ferry Camp 185 

XVII. The Nagcl Homestead, or Century House 196 

XVIII. The E.xterior Forts and Encampments 202 



I 

THE SEARCH FOR RELICS 

The occiipjitioii of the rulie Iniiiter is piirticuhirly fascinating. 
The pecnliar interest of the study of liistorical events when con- 
ducted upon the scene of their occurrence is increased by the 
possihilitios of finding objects connoctcd with them, and somc- 
tliing of the passion of the explorer, of the voyager and of the 
miner is combined in the work of searching for sites, which culmi- 
nates in the interest of actual excavation for these long hidden 
reminders. The uncertainty of results is an incentive to effort, 
and to crown the whole, there is tlic pleasure of possession of the 
objects disclosed, which constitutes tlu; reward of the collector. 

Above all, the pursuit is not only productive of interest, but is 
condiUMve to good health ; even the severe labor of digging under 
summer sunshine, under such stimulating conditions, has pi'oved 
to be beneficial to the participants. To all this is added the mental 
satisfaction, that by means of somi^ pcisonal effort, an addition 
has been made to the sum of human knowledge, and interest and 
pleasure are later found in placing the objects where the public 
may share in thoir observation and benefit by their study. 

Such have been the accompaniments of the work, conducted in 
the scant intervals that have \mm available l)etween professional 
o<'cupati(in anil daily duliis, of the (racing, discovering, locating 
and excavating of aboriginal, colonial and military remains on 
the upper eiul of the island of Manhattan and the vicinity, con- 
ducted during periods of nearly twenty years by Mr. W. L. Calvcr 
and the writer, freciiu'utly aided by Dr. Edward TIagaman Hall, 
by Messrs. .lolin Ward Dunsmoro, Jeremiah ITuutcr, and Percy 
and Leslie Spier, and at times by other interested, though perhaps 
somewliat less persistent fellow-workers, such as Dr. Montgomery 
Schuyler. 

To such enthusiasts there is an invignrating incentive, in free- 
dom to roam together over public lands, on private and vacant 

9 



Relics of the Revolution 



properties, over street excavations, and along the banks of river 
and brook, eager expectation sharpening the vision, as the surface 
or broken bank is scanned for signs of one-time occupation, or 
for abandoned materials of interest. 

Oi", upon some place of possible interest indicated by a study 
of topographical condition or by historical records or maps, the 
work of digging and trenching is commenced, each member of 
the party taking a turn at the alternate operations of breaking the 
turf, or of lifting, sorting and sifting the soil, while flie e.\j)i)sure 
of signs of interest concentrates the attention of all upon the 
selected expert, who with accustomed care, breaks out the layer of 
debris, or picks away the earthen casing of the Jialf-disclosed relic. 
Flvcn if actual results are disappointing, the day is never lost, for 
conmniiiity of intei'cst begets discussion of interesting subjects, 
and conversation, banter, recital and humor lighten the strenuous 
hibor. The work, too, is seldom lacking in attraction to the 
passer-by, and the eager (|uestioning of visitors has resulted in 
cslablisliing in:iny a pleasiint aci|naintanc(' and some longstanding 
fi'iendships. The discussion of the historical events connected 
with tiie "finds"' has led to a decided increase of interest in the 
home locality by many residents and visitors. 

To children, sucli work always appeals, their imagination gen- 
erally begetting extravagant ideas of its possible results. 

"What yer lookin' for. Mister?" is a stereotyped enquiry, 
humorously developed into the searching question by one future 
Iiuniorist, " What d'yer fhiiili- yer lookin' for? " The commonest 
demands are whether Captain Kidd's treasure is being sought, or 
gold, or wonns for bait. 

N^o little aid is given by the willing schoolboy in the lighter 
work of sorting or searching, and often to equally practical effect, 
in conveying needed supplies of ginger ale or sarsaparilla, copious 
draughts of which assuage the heat of labor under the summer 
sun. With sharpened appetite the mid-day lunch of sandwiches 
and cake, under the friendly shade of some rock or tree, has a 
keen enjoyment, though the limited time not infrequently demands 

10 



The Search for Relics 



that the work proceed while the worker eats. Thus it came about 
tliat the writer was cauglit in a photographic snap-shot, with a 
sandwicii in one hand, and a hing-deceased Indian's thigh-bone 
in the other, and may go down to posterity as having been atSicted 
with cannibalistic tendencies. 

Speculation and imagination are lirought into play when some 
new or iiniisinil object is foimd. ()ft('n these (ibjects are incased 




Kelic iluuteis at Work 



in a mass of caked rust and sand, and ere shape can be detemiined 
the crust must be picked away with some hand tool. One worker's 
expertness in this direction has become a standing joke with his 
fellows, who maintain that out of a given shajjeless block he may 
fashion the result " to order." And when the partial disclosure 
of some buried object has been made, the excitement and interest 
are communicated to explorers and visitors alike, as with knife 
and scraper, trowel or goiige the material is dug away and the 

11 



Relics of the Revolution 



whole of it is tenderly lifted to daylight. The little objects, such 
as buttons, are carefully handled and their surfaces cleaned with 
ancient toothbrushes, the larger "goods" with wire sink-brushes 
and the coarsest objects with a light hammer or pick. The 
process of excavation has been developed by practice. The pur- 
pose is to get below any layer or stratum of material which is 
encountered and thus ensure the removal of every part of it. For 
this purpose a hole is sometimes sunk a short distance away and 
the material is approached by a trenching process. If possible 
the material is exposed from the south, so as to secure the light of 
the sun upon the uncovered material. When the material lies 
deep, as in the case of pits dug by the soldiery of the Revolution, 
the work of heaving the material up is divided by cutting a step 
and having a second shoveller receive the soil at half the depth 
of the excavation. Recent excavations in hut sites have involved 
the use of ii wlioelliarrow, at wliifh ciicli cxpldrcr tiikcs turn as 
the motive " mule." 

The methods and tools employed in tield work have been 
developed by experience and vary with the character of the 
material w'hich is sought. Local aboriginal remains are nearly 
always accompanied by masses of oyster shells, which involve 
severe labivr if excavated from the surface, and therefore, a hole 
is dug at one side of the debris, and the material is thus exposed 
and removed sideways. Experience in the rubbish heaps of old 
Colonial dwellings has led to the method of attack from the lowest 
point, by digging to :i dc]itli a little below the laittom of the layer 
and dropping th(> frail debris into the sifter. 

The casual tire-place, or cami>pit is difhcult of definition, and 
its limits cannot always bo traced. The level of debris is then 
reached by sinking or trenching, the top soil is removed in strips, 
exposing the layer of rubbish or ashes, which is then pried up 
by a fork, lifted and placed in a sieve. The camp huts discovered 
in recent years are located by the tloor level to which a hole is 
dug and then excavating proceeds along this level in all directions 
till the limit of the floor is reached. 

12 



The Search for Relics 



All kinds of tools have been tried and their respective virtues 
tested on this work. The most effective is a spade-fork of four 
tines which is used to cut up turf, and also to disturb layers of 
slielis or of packed debris. A pointed shovel is used to lift the 
soil so as to ease the labor of penetration. A flat hoe is carried 
to scrape the layers of material together, and to scrape the face 
of the excavation occasionally and thus disclose its composition; 
also to pile up the loose material ready for the shovel. A set of 
light and short tools is carried on exploring expeditions, and the 
heavy tools brought into use after a " place " is located. A short 
flat shovel is most useful in working in nari'ow holes, sudi as 
graves, fireplaces or huts. 

The best hand tool for small work and for getting objects out 
of their place is an asparagus cutter or a small trowel, which 
may be used to slice away the debris, as it is found sometimes in 
layers. A small hand-rake or scratcher with wide claws is used 
for removing shells, and for breaking up hard bods of packed sand 
or trodden earth. 

The sieve or sifter is an apparatus of the higiiest effectiveness, 
competing with the trained eye of the explorer; and oftentimes 
proving itself the better of the two in discovering small objects 
hidden in the soil. Its effect is to dissect the artificial materials 
from the soil, and thus to decide the nature and value of the 
material and decide the value of tiie place for further exploration. 
The sieves used for exploring are sometimes the common cheap 
ash-sifters, which can be used up as recjuired or left on the ground, 
if found inconvenient for carriage. For regular and heavy Avork 
a larger form is used, made of galvanized wire, with a mesh of 
about half an inch square, strongly bound with hoop iron to a 
wooden box-frame, the shaije of which, by preference, is oblong. 
With such a sieve very rapid sifting nuiy bo effected in dry soil, 
and about a ton of earth nuiy be passed through in a short day's 
work, provided the stuff' is not only dry but free from roots and 
stones, by which xmfavorable adjuncts the labor is often much 
increased. Where much material has to be handled one shoveler 



13 



Relics of the Revolution 



uau keep two sifters busy, each taking turn to sift and shovel at 
short intervals. 

An efl'ective addition to the means of exploration is the sound- 
ing rod or probe, which was devised by Mr. Clalver, a slender and 
jimiited steel rod sot into a wooden handle, which can bo pi'essed 
down into the soil, to locate obstrnctions and olijeets liidden below 
tlie surface. Practice makes perfect, and tlic constant use of this 




<«* M^ ^ ■»">•'. - 



■^ '^-^ 



i:\liliirers ami \'iaitiir,s 

implement afl'ords the user almost as valuable service as an eye 
that could see below the sod. An object such as a stone can be 
determined by prodding its hard siii-face, and its size can be detined 
by piercing the soil around it. The feeling of an oyster shell 
is (|nite distinct, as it can be pierced by a sudden thrust, while a 
human bone is quite distinctive to the sense of feeling on the 
rod. and a tree root has as characteristic a " feel " a& a bone or 



14 



The Search for Relics 



a piece of metal. When a hard floor haa been traced by the rod, 
the work of exploration consists in removing the top soil and heavy 
material down to a point just above the floor line, which is indi- 
cated by judgment. The surface of a floor can be located by the 
" sounder " very accurately. Then the layer of soil on the flour 
is sliced down by a flat shovel so as to avoid l)reaking the flour 
whether it be of brick or hard beaten sand or clay. This soil, if 
of promising appearance, is put through the sifter unless the 
objects left lying on the floor are readily discernible to the eye. 
The floor surface or any unusual object which crops out of the 
soil is brushed with a wire sink-brusli, disclosing the nature of 
the surface. 

Finally, when an object is secured it is often a mis-shapen 
mass of rusty sand if its composition be of iron or steel, and 
this is best broken away immediately, while damp, by a few sharp 
picking blows with a tool such as the asparagus knife. When 
the coarse coating is removed, which in the case of a cannon ball 
nnty be very similar to the casing of a cocoanut, often an inch 
thick, the finer cleaning is left for later treatment. But the 
interest attaching to bronze objects and to pewter and silver but- 
tons is such as to brook no delay, so a well-worn tooth brush is 
brought into an extension of active service, and removes the thin 
crust of soil without destroying the characteristic coUvr of the coin 
or badge, or the delicate design of the button-face. If the latter 
be evidently ver^- frail as is usually the case with silver or gold 
faced buttons, the object is not cleaned in the field, but is placed 
in a little matchbox filled full of sand, and is thus protected from 
jar or shock on the way home, and also from the eftects of too 
hasty drying, which is destructive to such material as bone or 
ivory. 

Glass, chinaware and pottery are now recognized as of intrinsic 
value and interest. Its character forms an excellent index of 
dates of the material it accompanies, and with sufficient care, the 
bulk, if not all, of the component parts of a vessel or plate may 
often be collected and the object is restored to its original shape. 



15 



Relics of the Revolution 



In some recent finds the entire fractured portions of broken 
plates, Iwwls, and cups have been secured from the " dump," and 
reconstnicted complete In- patient cleaning, matching and cement- 
ing. The process of restoratio.n of chinaware and particularly of 
earthenware and more especially still of Indian pottery, is one 
requiring time, a delicate hand, and unlimited patience. 

'J'he matching of such scraps of bniken wai'C, after being 





' -^t^'^ 






-1,^:^-^ 



^v 



All 1 lltiTol ilm Mnllll'llt 

thoroughly washed, beats the game of puzzle picluii's by a mile, 
both in the quality of patience it demands and the interest it 
cr(!ates. The pieces which match are detei'mlned \>\ the "' clinch " 
together of the fractured surfaces, and are then marked with 
India ink so as to be readily identified. In order to build up the 
structure of the vessel they are strapped together temporarily 
with strips of " passe-partout " or gummed paper, and gradually 



16 



The Search for Relics 



extended into as complete a condition as the extent of the hnd 
admits. Tlieu they are broken apart and all small pieces lirst 
nnited, and later the sections thus made up are joined, till per- 
haps the whole object comes together, a masterpiece of care and 
a personal triumph added to the satisfaction of the collector. 

The most fruitful tields for new discovery have been the banks 
or cuts formed by streets or by cellar construction, or by the 
washing away of hillsides or river banks. The processes of nature, 
in this direction, can be aided by an occasional dislodging of some 
of the soil on the crest, so as to expose a fresh surface. 

The practiced eye detects old buried surface lines, or the line 
of any artificial disturbance, the red mark of fire, or the black 
of decayed deliris. On the hill-tops the layers of soil are thin, 
and any buried deliris may l)e expected to be found lying below 
it on the rock surface. In the valleys, the processes of farming 
and of nature have often buried quite deeply the aboriginal or 
other remains, and the steel sounder must be the guide. 

So, by watchful observation, by prodding, scratching, digging, 
and trenching the soil, by measuring, mapping and comparing 
the surface indications, the sites of the villages and tepees of the 
aborigines, of the abandoned homes, barns and out-houses of the 
colonists, and of the forts, campsites and barracks of the soldiery, 
who at one period or other during its past, occupied the heights 
and vales of upper Manhattan, have been located and uncovered, 
and by patient cleaning, reconstructing, and comparing, a large 
numlier of interesting evidences have been secured, ere the advance 
of brick and mortar and paving had smothered all chance of their 
further observation and preservation. 



17 



II 

REMINDERS OF THE REVOLUTION 

The delay in the development, of the upper part of the Borougli 
of Manhattan as a residential district long preserved its ancient 
character, and its recent opening has disturbed the surface to an 
unusual extent, on account of the great variety of its topography. 
Thus an unusual opportunity was atforded to secure a number 
of long-hidden reminders of the warfare which resulted in the 
emancipation of our country, in which iSTew York occupied the 
central position and took throughout a strenuous part. These 
have been found with, and often quite intimately associated with, 
objects of aboriginal or of colonial cliaracter. 

The hills of Washington Heights and Inwood were not only 
the scene of tierce conflicts aroiuul Fort Washington in the year 
of the Declaration of Independence, as well as of several sharp 
engagments between the forts crowning the hilltops, and squadrons 
of tiie British fleet in the Hudson River below, but for seven long 
years thereafter, these hills and vales formed the camping ground 
of the British, Hessian and Tory troops which garrisoned the 
island of New York, and stubbornly blocked its recapture by the 
American forces. 

Relics of these periods of its history therefore include objects 
left In- American military organizations, during their construction 
and defence of its fortifications, many reminders of the fighting 
in the shape of missiles and other military olijects, and in various 
places, quantities of deliris attest the presence of alien troops 
including nearly every military corps of the then British army, 
aiul of its subsidized aides. 

Within the old mansion of Colonel Roger Mon-is, Washington's 
Headquarters in the fall of 1776, there have been gathered, as a 
place i)f convenient access and appropriate associations, situated 
as it is immediately within the locality from which they have 

18 



Reminders of the Revolution 



been taken, a considerable collection of these objects showing the 
military life and warfare of the Revolutionary period. 

In times gone by, such objects were so little regarded that they 
were scattered in careless possession, and given away or sold to 
junk dealers or sent to be melted down in the foundry. Most 
of the relics of which local families were possessed have long been 
lost or scattered. Fortunately greater interest and attention have 
now been awakened, and from the possession of local residents and 
from the discarded debris of old houses, the writer has rescued 
many interesting objects. By the application of assiduous study 
and labor, the principal positions occupied by the garrisons have 
been decided, and from them have been extracted by excavation, 
many curious and some really valuable historical relics. 

These objects have all been carefully grouped in the collection 
in the guard-room of the Headquarters House, in such a way as 
to preserve their association with the particular locality in which 
they were found. Their value in this relation seems to be greater 
than a mere assortment and display of objects of similar char- 
acter could possess, because they identify the character of the 
several places in which they were discovered. Thus, a few bullets 
or musket flints, more or less, added to others, afford no particular 
information, or instruction, but the fact that such objects were 
found at a particular place in association with other objects indi- 
cates their similar purpose and throws light on bygone conditions. 
If broken buckles, pipes and bayonets indicate the presence of 
soldiery at one spot, the same objects at another place identify 
its use by similar occupants. And even such humble objects as 
broken bottles, cracked crockery, and discarded tobacco pipes, 
which in themselves may be of small interest, when found closely 
associated with the numbered buttons of the British troops, are 
useful indications of historical value. Such simple evidences 
have in several instances led to explorations which have resulted 
in the identification of certain sites as military camping grounds, 
with much advantage to the study of local history. 

19 



Relics of the Revolution 



The value of local auticjiiities is di.sooiiiitcd wheu they ate 
loosely combined in a single exhibit, and the comparison of various 
specimens from different localities seems to be of less educative 
value iind of less civic interest than their display in connection 
witii the locality in which they were discovered, although the 
value of the comparison of individual specimens is by no means 
to be ignored, and the collection at Headquarters is arranged with 
some groups of objects for this purpose. 

The local centres around which most of such objects have been 
discovered are chiefly the military positions on the Heights which 
were fortified, fought over, or garrisoned during the Itevolutiou, 
such as Fort Washing-ton, Fort George, F(n't Tryon, and a number 
of garrison camps around the Inwood A'alo. 

Separate cases in which the relics are grouped in the Guard 
Room are devoted to such particular localities, and some displays 
of objects of similar character are brought together in other cases 
for purposes of comjjarisons and illustration of liygone habits and 
methods. 

Of the evidences of actiial fighting, there are to lie seen shot 
and shell of a variety of sizes, which by dimension and by location 
can sometimes be traced to the artillery of the defenders, or to 
that of the assaulters of Motint Washington and its outlying works. 
As the Americans possessed but two guns of suthcicnt caliber to 
throw solid shot of a weight of eighteen pounds, and these cannon 
were mounted to discharge toward the river, such cannon-balls, 
when found on the Hudson side of the Heights, may be attributed, 
as well as others of larger dimensions, to the weapons of British 
frigates. Shot of smaller sizes when found on the known line of 
advance of the British and Hessian troops toward Fort Washing- 
ton are presunuibly American, but others of all sizes and weights 
can, from their location in the vicinity of the fortifications, be 
regarded as those which were fired by the field guns and howitzers 
of the invading forces. Some of these missiles thus tell their own 
storv verv clearlv. 



20 



Reminders of the Revolution 



The largest shells, of which exploded segments have been found 
at Fort George, and one complete iinexploded example in the 
Invvood Valley, were doubtless thrown by the bomb ketches of 
the British, as were the varidns sizes of wicked looking double- 
headed l)ar-sh(>t, which were distinctly marine missiles, the pur- 
pose of which was to injure the rigging of opposing vessels, but 
which were here used to " scour the woods " occupied bv the 
patriotic forces at the time of the assault of Jlount Washington. 
The phrase is used in the log-book of H. B. ^I. frigate " Pearl " 
of 30 guns, which on Xovember 10, 1770, took part in the assault 
on the hills. One of her bar-shot, I'oniid at Fort George, in line 
with her position otf Tubbv Hook, retained a number of the iron 
spikes and nails with which it had been filled between the heads. 

Of smaller missiles, iron grape-shot and canister balls are prob- 
ably from foreign guns, while humble buckshot and small-sized 
bullets are those of the Inniting rifles used bv many of the 
provincial forces. Portions of weapons from the scene of actual 
contest include broken bayonets, sword-blades and pike points, 
musket locks and flints, rusted ramrods and innumerable leaden 
bullets. 

Among the remains of gai'rison life, a dumb but definite witness 
has been found, bearing direct evidence of the character of the 
particij>ants. This is the metallic military button, which by its 
distinctive chai'acter or design and particularly by an inscribed 
number, indicates the corps of which its one-time ovsTier was a 
member. Over the ground on which the hand-to-hand fighting 
of the assaiilt and defence took place, and in greater numbers 
around the sites of camps and barracks, have been found many 
of the numbered buttons of the British regiments which were 
engaged or encamped, and others, even when lacking such distinc- 
tive markings. In- their character and materials can be traced to 
the use of their antagonists or prisoners. Buttons of many of 
the British regiments, known to have been brigaded with, or to 
have occupied the same quarters as Hessian troops, are found 



21 



Relics of the Revolution 



associated with buttons of plain patterns, but of distinctive mili- 
tary character, which are nndoubtedly those of the German mer- 
cenaries. 

It is of interest to learn that specimens of many of these biittons 
are no longer to be found in England, and that all trace of their 
character would have been lost had it not been for those discovered 
on Washington Heights. The remarkable collection of these mili- 
tary buttons, which Mr. AV. L. Calver's industry and skill has 
brought together, includes examples of every military organization 
of the British forces with the sole exception, at this date, of the 
Fifty-fifth foot. 

Some of the ornamental Imttons are of a high order of artistic 
design, especially those of French origin, and Capitaine Bottet, 
the author of the interesting work " Le Bouton de I'armee 
Francaise " has identified some of our local specimens as those 
worn by officers or men of the army of Rochambeau. 

In connection with these olijects, several fine specimens of num- 
bered and engraved belt-plates have been foimd, notably specimens 
of those of individual officers or men of the Royal Fusileers, of 
the Twenty-eighth and Thirty-eighth Eegiments and of the Cold- 
stream Guards, more details of which are given in the description 
of the camp sites upon wbirji tlioy were discovered. 

A volume might be written upon the subject of siu-h remains, 
were the purpose of this record that of detailed military history 
of each of the classes of objects discovered, but it must suffice 
to say, that a small Init earnest band of experts has imited in 
forming an organization known as " the American Buttonist 
Association," which by comparison of specimens, interchange of 
information, and correspondence with American and foreign 
authorities on military history, has established a branch of his- 
torical study akin to that of numismatics and not only of an inter- 
esting, but of a distinctly valuable historical character. 

While the numbered button has thus earned a place among the 
materials for the compilation of history, many humbler ol>jects 
that were found associated with the buttons have gained thereby 

22 



Reminders of the Revolution 



an identification not otherwise possible. Aroiind, and sometimes 
even in contact M'itli, the niuiibercd witness to the presence of the 
soldier of the Revolution, have been found the razors, the clasp- 
knives, bullets and nun flints that once occupied the pockets of tlie 
garments of which the buttons formed an essential part. 




Royal Badge of a Guard Officer 

Worn on the Sabre Tache 

(Now in the collection at tlio Washington's Headquarters) 

With these are foimd also fragments of characteristic glass and 
earthenware, sometimes evidently of such character and age as 
to indicate its rude diversion from its proper ownership to camp 
usage, alongside the ubiquitous rum-bottle, the frequent medicine 
phial, and the occasional wine-glass. 

23 



Relics of the Revolution 



If with these are found ornamental cutf buttons and the not 
unusual accompaniment of a brass pin, we feel sure that some 
cast-off clotliing f<iund its way to the fire or was left with the 
dcliris of nuniy a feast, in the ashes of tlie camp lioarth, or tlie 
straw that formed tlie carpet of the barrack room or hut. Not 
only the lost or broken table cutlerv, the pewter spoons, and the 
soup kettle tell of the feasts of the camp, but the same storv is 
also told by the sawn bones, the fragments of skulls of sheep, ox 
and deer, the shells of oyster, clam and crab, and the thick nuisses 
of ashes and charcoal that once glowed with the heat that cooked 
them. 

With the evidences of the bygone meals, the tobacco-pipe is 
always associated, usually broken into innumerable fragments. 
Occasionally a complete bowl is found, or a part of one bearing- 
some one or other of the trade marks or names of makers 
which have long puzzled the collector of these huml)le but inter- 
esting examples of the ceramic art. The wonderful state of 
preservation of many <if these frail objects, the evidences of their 
long usage by their (pmndam owners, and the identitication of 
those owners as participants in the great struggle for the prin- 
ciples of liberty, render the inimbje bowls of very lively interest. 
Perhaps more than any other of the remains of the period, they 
liring before us the personality of the actors in the great events of 
the Iicvolution, as we nuiy innigine the pungent smoke ascending 
around the winter fire, or under the welcome shade in summer, 
to the accompaniment of many a tale of the actions in which their 
owners liad taken part. 

Many of the relics of a military character which in the past 
iiave been found iipon the surface of Washington Heights wei'e 
probal)ly of as varied a character as those which have been more 
recently discovered by deliberate methods with spade and sifter. 
Many, however, were probably the scattered remains of the actual 
fighting which took place during the defence of the locality, for 
these more or less bestrew the rocky and wooded surface, and, from 
time to time became, what explorers term, " surface finds." That 

24 



Reminders of ihe Revolution 



such objects became more scarce as time proceeded beyond a cen- 
tury from those stirring- events is natural, and yet, such things 
were still to lie found in tlic earlier years of detinitc exploration, 
wlicn the systematic search of its surfaces was liognn. Hut it 
cannot be doubted that the majority of such objects have ninv been 
forever lost, for but little value appears to have been attached to 
them l)y the old residents and farmers residing on the fields of 
warfare. Xearly every old-time household at one time had more 
or less military relics, partly those of the battle and probably 
partly those of the camps of the armies of the Kevolution. 

The late Mr. 0']\rara, head-gardener of Trinity Cemetery, was 
reputed to have gathered quite a collection during his many years 
of service around the Second line of Defence, which extended 
across the cemetery. The family of Blazius Eyer had other objects 
culled from the surface around the old l^luebell Tavern, and by 
the removal of the family these olijects have now left the Heights, 
probably forever. 

'J'he ilorewood family, resident within the actual ramparts 
of Fort Washington, had an exceptional opportunity for collect- 
ing military objects, and during the Imilding of their house and 
the grading away of the south part of the Fort for a garden took 
out quantities of heavy shot which were carted away to the foundry 
at Spuyten Duyvil. The late John Haven, long resident in what 
is now Fort Washington Park, took an interest in the subject and 
made a collection of historical objects, which accompanied him 
on his removal from the Heights. The awakening of interest in 
historical subjects appears to require the lapse of a century before 
the glamour of romance is thrown over past events, and the same 
principle is probably applicable to the value placed upon objects 
connected with history. 

About the time of the first i)|ioning of avenues and streets on 
upper Manhattan this period bad been reached, and a few of the 
then newer residents began to devote some attention to the military 
objects which were disclosed by the disturbance of the surface. 

Ajnong these was Captain English of the local police force. 



25 



Relics of the Revolulion 



Cnlldwod \)y ('iq)hiiii, liitor IiiHjicctor, Moses ('<)rtrii;lit, who 
rf'sciK'd a imiiiluT of Imltoiis, baclf;e.s, weapons ami missiles from 
(lie <'x<'a\iitioiis ai'DuiHl I'lirt (ieorf;e. Aiiotlicr inlclli^Tuif collector 
was llic laic I"'. W. Ijiirclc, a ('i\il War vclcran, resident, at Fort 
(ieoi'f;(\ vvlio made tlio lirst ])id)lic exliibitioii of siicli olijiM'ts of 
local iiilei'cst in liis saloon at l<'ort deorgc Avenue and l'.)4tli 
Street. Jt was tlic material wliicli he preaerved that formed the 







ItiiltdiiH iif I'dry IJc^iiMciits 
(^ucc'ii'h IJaiifji'rH L'liil Aiiicricaii 

New ^■l)l■U \'()liiri(iTrH l!i.v;il I'roN iiiciMls 



starting;- jMiint, of tlu; collcu-tion now at the Headi|narters lloiise. 
A.nother eontrilmtion was obtained from W. llerliliv, a contractor, 
\\ lid bad tbc work of openim;- the " Itidge IJoad," now Fort Wash- 
infi'ton Avenne, at IS 1st Street, and partly tbronsh the fortifica- 
tions. T[is f;ronp of objwts inclnded a human skull, which led 
to Ibc identification of the "{garrison burial <^round " at Fort 
Washinjiton .\vcMnc and ISlst Street. 



26 



Reminders of the Revolution 



From time to time the gradual change of the Heights from a 
restricted residential district to a citv of ajiartnionts, has dis- 
turbed relics, the disposition v( whicli liv tiic HikIcis lias been 
unfortunate, 'i'hc average workman usually casts aside any objecl, 
not readily understood, but such things as coins or sliot are carried 
otf and either lioarded, given away, or sold to junk dealers or bar- 
tenders. 

An Italian workman tisnally places an extravagant value on 
finds of coins, and is secretive as to what he has found. Prob- 
ably he assunu's that the law relating to s\u'h disc^overies is the 
same here as in his nativi' conntry, iiiul lii;it llic ol)jcct niiiy be 
taken from him if its discovery becomes known. Tliiis some inter- 
estins: coins found at I7<itli Street were lost to siifht. .V local 
workingnuin oik.-c showed an iinnsual Saxon coin found "some- 
where near 168th Street" wiiich was almost iiiincd in ciiaractor 
by being carried alxmt in his pocket with otlier coins. It was 
inscribed " J 2 Heller. KtMchstadt, Sacli. !>. V." with the date on 
reverse of 176Y. 

About a dozen large har-sliot wen^ dislodged liv workmen on the 
site of the Chelsea Metlioilist Kpiscopal Chnrcli at iTfStli Street, 
on Fort Washington .Vveime, which were probably from a series 
of fire hearths of military lints. ()r these five were disjiosed of 
to a passing junk-wagon bcldre Mr. .John Krowii, iJic coiiliMilor. 
learned of the fact ami res('ued the icnniinder. Mr. W. (ireen. 
another contractor, found what \n' described as a " chain shot " 
but which was probably a Tiritish bar-shot, in tli(r e.xcavation for 
a .sewer on Fort Washington Avcnnc at, 1(t.''itli Street, and gave it 
away to the first interested visitor wlio examined it. Another 
such object was found under the site of the .\mlubon Theatre; at 
164th Street, near Uroadway, whieh was secured by a tradesnnin 
near by, but was rescued by Mr. H. H. Dreyer and added to a 
small collection he has made in his office at 160th Street, where 
he has gathercHl several other objects, such as shot, bullets, and 
other military material. A line I)ayonet I'onnd on the American 



27 



Relics of the Revolution 



League Ball grouiids at 167tli Street, found its way to a saloon 
and its whereabouts is now unknown. 

Tlie late Ifr. C. ('. Simpson, of the Consolidated f'as Company, 
was one of those who took care to preserve such relics, which came 
lo his hands from the excavating for the extension of gas mains 
in the Dycknnin tract, out of which he formed quite an interesting- 
little private collection, which included some military badges of 
historical value, but this collection is, like those of others, such 
as that of Inspector Cortright, inaccessible to the general public. 
Some very interesting objects were found and preserved by Mr. 
AV. C. Miischenheim, when he resided at Fort Tryon, but were 
lost in the tire tliat unfdrtunately destroyed his picturesciue resi- 
dence. By the dispersion and loss of these and, no doubt, very 
many other such objects, the available historical material has been 
greatly reduced, and a greater value is placed upon what is left. 
'Such objects lose nnich of their value when their association with 
the locality is lost, and few persons ai'e particular to preserve a 
record of the exact position in which they were found. Objects 
such as shot have been attributed to '' Fort Wasliington," a term 
which in years gone by covered the whole territory from Carmaus- 
ville to Inwood. Therefore it has been a particular satisfaction 
that such relics as were preserved by the 7-ibbey family, around 
tiij'ir old home, Fort Tryon, are available to public view l)y their 
loan by ^Ir. .Tonas Libbey to the Collection at the Headquarters 
House. 

Gifts have been made by other persons, of isolated objects which 
have added materiMlly to the scope of the collection. 

With the knowledge gained by comparison of similar objects, 
and with the experience of direct search for sites and buried 
material, the collection at the nead(imirters House has grown to 
a substantial group of objects, all of which are carefully connected 
with their ])lar(' of discovery. 

The result has been to reiuler objects even of the commonest 
character of value and interest, and to atford to a large circle of 



28 



Reminders of the Revolution 



visitors iuformatiou wliicli appears to Ije appreciated, as to the 
historical associations, not merely of the district, hiit of the par- 
ticular portion of it in which they live, sometimes the street and 
oven the site npon which tliey reside, contrilnitino', it may well he 
helieved, to their interest in their home neiiilihorhood, and through 
this incentive to the cultivation of a spirit of good citizenship 
and neighborliness. 



29 



Ill 

THE AMERICAN ARMY ON THE HEIGHTS 

The military occupation of the upper part of the Island of 
Manhattan began in the early part of the eventful year of 1776, 
when detachments of American regiments commenced the con- 
struction of some of the defensive earthworks on the Hudson 
side, the chief purpose of which was to oppose the passage up the 
Hudson River of vessels of the British fleet. The anticipated 
arrival of the British army, and his forecast of its purpose of 
the occupation of New York, led General Washington, after his 
arrival on the fourteenth of April, to survey the Heights and 
decide upon the location of a system of defences of its rugged 
hills, by the construction of Fort Washington and its system of 
exterior defences. 

The Heights at that period were in the condition of partly 
farmed and partly uncultivated woodlands, to which the industry 
of its scanty occupants had brought it, since the final division of 
its common lands in 1715 among the freeholders of New Harlem. 
The allotments were then made in the form of parallel strips of 
land, extending east and west of the Albany post-road, reaching 
respectively to the margin of the Harlem and the Hudson. 

The houses of its inhabitants were few and far between, all of 
the humble character of the Colonial farm dwelling, with the 
exception of two, which at that time were but recently con- 
structed. 

These were the residences of Colonel John Maunsell and of 
Lieutenant-Colonel Roger ^Morris, the former sitmited on the west 
side of the post-road at 14Sth Street, and the latter on what later 
became the Jumel property east of the same highway between 
160th and 162d Streets. At intervals along the post-road between 
Harlem and the King's Bridge were several taverns, that known 
as "Day's" at 126th Street, the "Morris White House" near 

30 



The American Armv on the Heights 



ItiOth Street, the well-known " Blue Bell " at 181st Street, and 
Hyatt's tavern at Marble Hill. 

Of the farm houses, there were then standing a stone dwelling 
built bv Jan Dvckuiau at 152d Street, which was occupied hy 
his widow and children, also the farm-house of Johannes Oblieuis 
at ITCth Street, and the humble home of Barney Bowers next 
to the Blue Bell. In the vale below Fort Washington the dwell- 
ing of the Kortrights stood at Arden Street and Sherman Avenue, 
and the farm houses of William Dyckman and of William Nagel 
faced each other on the bank of the Harlem at 210th and 213th 
Streets. A second Dyckman dwelling, probably occupied at the 
time by Jacobus Dyckman and his numerous family, was located 
at 20Sth Street, near 9th Avenue. 

Into this scattered and slender community the advent of even 
a moderate number of armed soldiery must have introduced com- 
plications of an unusual character. The problem of food and 
drink would no doubt have proved easier of solution than that of 
housing or of providing even the poorest kind of shelter for a large 
body of men. 

The oiEcers were doubtless able to share, to a limited extent, 
such comforts as the farm houses afforded, but the private soldiers 
could have had but little beyond the rude shelter of the barns, 
the out-houses or the stables, and these only as far as their limited 
number permitted. The relics of military occupation have been 
found at every fann house site. 

It was fortunate that, under such circumstances, the patriotic 
forces which first arrived upon the scene, in the spring of iTTfi, 
were largely composed of hardy pioneers, farmers and woodsmen, 
and the number, of men at first employed upon the Heights was 
limitetl. 

There is reason 'to suppose, from a note upon the British 
(Sauthier) map of 1777, that the farm barn or out-buildings were 
occupied as barracks by these men, wp to the period when the 
arrival of the main army, in September, 177G, overwhelmed these 



31 



Relics of the Revolution 



restricted accoiuinddiitidiis and foinjtelled the large munbers form- 
ing its several divisions to find wliat comfort they could among the 
rocks under the wild hrush-wood, and even upon the hare, unculti- 
vated uplands. It is interesting to tiud in some of the arniv orders 
of the period references to their camp life and conditions, which 
throw light upon the liardsiiips they underwent in the service of 
their country. 

Little experience existed among these men as to tlie methods of 
camp life, and the materials f(u- the construction of barracks or 
even of huts were evidently scarce and costly. Ihus men in 
search of firewood cxidently helped themselves to the cut timber 
which formed the protective abatis of the earthworks, for an order 
was issued that "Any soldier detected in so doing, without orders 
from the Chief Engineer, is to be sent to the Provost Guard and 
tried by a General Court Martial." It was ordered that the arms 
and ammunitions were to be protected, in default of proper build- 
ings, by l)ell-teuts or " painted tents " spread over them. The 
work of fortification compelled early rising and permitted no 
easy times, for ".Ml the trcwps are every morning to be under 
amis a little before break of day and continue till sunrise;"' but 
the practice of sending the men out on duty without breakfast 
was directed to be discontinued. 

During the summer of 177<1, while the construction of forti- 
fications was in progress, the work involved the labor of a working 
party of twelve hundred men, which was paraded at seven o'clock 
each morning. While small growing timlier was, probably, not 
so scarce, planks and boards were evidently precious. One of the 
orders issued from Headipiarters at the Koger ^lorris house at 
this time indicates that most of the troops were living in tents. 
" The building up tents with boards is a practice peculiar to this 
army, and in our present situation, cannot be indulged without the 
greatest injury to the service. The boards brouglit into camp arc 
for floors to the tents." 

The practices of the American soldiery in camp were the siibject 

32 



The American Arm]) on the Heights 



of a number of general and special orders, which afford many 
details of the life and habits of the troops which have been con- 
firmed by objects found on the camp sites. 

Powder was ordered to be issued 1o each man equal to fifteen 
or eighteen rounds, " also lead and cartridge paper that they may 
make their o\\ni caitridges." Thus bullet casting was part of 
their duty. " Tlic men must account for every load not used in 




1 he Smitliwe^t IJastimi nf the lint 



action." The quantities of lost bullets found .show their careless- 
ness in this respect. Like volunteers and militiamen the world 
over, the men were probably indejjendent and reckless, often 
regardless of the strict routine life of trained soldiery. General 
Washington wrote that he " in riding through the camps, observed 
a shameful waste of provision, large pieces of beef not only thrown 
away, but left above ground to putrefy," and he added that while 
such practices continue, " troops will be sickly." " Some of the 

33 



Relics of the Revolution 



camps nearest to Headquarters are very faulty in this respect." 
They were warned that if they did not show improvement, 
offenders would be named in public. Camp orderlies were then 
detailed to pick up rul>])ish and see that decent appearances were 
maintained. It was probably the work of such orderlies that 
gathered in the " dumps " or pits some of the camp debris which 
has recently been brought to light, in which the meat bones and 
shells of oysters and clams are conspicuously abundant. 

The food supplies of the troops were, of course, a matter of 
great importance. Traders and hucksters, who came into the 
camps from Westchester County, took advantage of the soldiers' 
needs, and charged exorbitant prices for fresh food and comforts. 
They were, therefore, put under regulation. " Various frauds, 
impositions and abuses being every day committed by traders and 
hucksters coming to this camp, the (Quarter-master Ceneral and 
his assistant " were directed to regulate prices, particularly garden 
stuif, venison, cheese and butter. A public market was also estab- 
lished. " For the future, all persons bringing any of above 
articles immediately for sale, are to cany them to the foot of the 
glacis of the old fort, where the market is constantly to be held." 
The location of this camp market is not difficult to identify. The 
old fort was Fort Washington, its glacis was the slope extending 
from the fort, and the locality would no doubt have been near the 
road and the main barracks. The sloping ground on the south- 
east covered by 17!)th to 181st Streets west of the post-road was 
probably, therefore, the area on which this market was conducted, 
as it lay near the Jilue iiell Tavern, and close to the garrison bar- 
racks and high road. 

The scene must have been an aninuited one, when the market 
opened eveiy morning at eight o'clock, " and was allowed to con- 
tinue till sunset." With the camji cooks and soldiers off duty, 
there gathered the farmers' sons and daughters, the panniers of 
their ponies laden with meats and garden truck, while the Quar- 
ter-master's orderlies stood guard to see fair prices charged. No 

34 



The American Army on the Heights 



" comers " were permitted for " Should any person or persons be 
detected monopolizing or forestalling the market, they will be 
punished by a court martial and have all their goods seized for 
the sick of the hospital." 

Notwithstanding every care, many of the men became ill. 
" The battalion is very sickly,'' wrote Colonel Ewing of the Mary- 
land Regiment, " owing to our lying on the cold ground without 
straw or plank which is not to be had, and medicine very scarce." 
iledicine phials are often found in the debris. The surgeons 
were short of necessaries, and their mates were ordered to attend 
at the medicinal store to receive old linen to be torn up and con- 
verted into lint. There was a local tradition that this hospital 
was located in Bennett Avenue at about 18-ith Street. 

On September 24th, 1770, a general order was issued that " The 
(Quarter-master and the Chief Engineer are to mark the ground 
to-morrow on which the barracks and huts are to be built this side 
King's Bridge ''. We believe this led to the selection of the Pres- 
cott and Seaman Avenue site, and that the camp which afterwards 
became a great centre for the British and Hessian soldiery was 
begun by the American troops. 

Some information as to the position of the American quarters 
is found in the map which was prepared immediately upon its 
occupation by the British troops, and known as the Sauthier map 
of 1777. On this are marked in some detail buildings, sometimes 
surroundeil by enclosures or fencings, which are referred to as 
" Barracks built by the Americans for their Winter Quarters and 
which they burnt upon the ilovement of the King's Army to 
Frog's Point." 

The position of some of these barracks or quarters coincides 
with the situation of some of the farm dwellings then existing. 
Others were evidently tent encampments or perhaps groups of 
shelters or huts placed near the lines of defensive entrenchments 
and fortifications. 

The most southerly is at 127th Street, nearest the village of 

35 



Relics of the Revohilion 



Harlem, and the next nni-th is on a defined eminence near the 
IFudson, about the line of i;J5th Street, probablv that conspicuous 
liillock which has only recently lieen graded away on the west side 
of Hroadway, between l-'j-tth and l.jtith Streets. The farmhouse 
and outhouses of the Dyckuiau homestead at l.")2d Street and 
St. Nicholas Avenue is another place indicated, and further north 
a building upon the east side of tlie post-road near the Morris 
house, which was jjrohably the " White House," or !Morris tavern, 
to which the wounded cnnniunidcr of the l)attle nf Harlem Heights 
had been conveyed a few weeks before, and from which his body 
had been taken to its burial. On the west side of the high road 
near IfiOth Street is a similar group of structures, a place which 
iia- been idcntiricd as a camp site liy the objects fimnil in its 
vicinity. Xear iTtth Street on the east side of the present 
Uroadway is a group of buildings, a commanding but exposed 
position occupying the highest ground which was traversed by the 
post road, 'i'his phice was probaldy afterwards the wagon yard 
of the iJritisli troops. 

The home of tlic Ohlienis family, at ITtith Street, ami hinds 
north of thai jioint, extending to Islst Street, which at that 
period was in tiie possession of IJIazius .Moore, the tobacco nier- 
ehant, founder of the business and fortiuies of the LoriUards, are 
marked on this map as military qiuirters. A significant group of 
several buildings west of Broadway is shown just below the glacis 
of Fort Washington and directly behind the Bhie Hell tavern. 
The>e were repeated in greater detail in the Ih-itish headquarters 
map of 1782 and from these maps the site of barracks used by the 
successive garrisons of the Fort was located. Both from their 
position on the early nuip and from distinctive objects foimd there. 
these buildings would appear to have lieen originallv consti'iu^ted 
by the American Army. 

That thei-o were others on the mainland, Imilt or occupied for 
the use of the troops in the forts on the neighboring heights is 
evident from American reference to them. The construction of 

36 



The American Army on the Heights 



all these quiirters formed liarl, ;iik1 no .siuiill p;irt, of the work of 
those troops which ihiriiii;' the siuuiuer of lTT(i oeciipied the upper 
end of the Island, yome must have been quite extensive struc- 
tures, since in the general council on iSeptcmbor 8th it was con- 
templated that eight thousand men would be kept " for the 
defence of .Mount \\'ashington and its dependencies,'' and for 
such a bodv of troops with their necessary stores and materials 
a large amount of cover must have been provided. Those were 
not days of ready sawn huuber and wire nails, and the construc- 
tiiiii involved not merely the erectinn, but the hewing and sawing 
of the necessary timber, and jjcrhaps the forging of the nails and 
spikes, of which so many have been found around the old loca- 
tions described. Some of the buildings were dismantled and 
others destroved at the end of Octoliei', ITT'i. 




l;iitti>ii of tlic ( oiitiiiciital Aniiy 

At the time of the removal of the ai'my to Westchester County, 
General Greene wrote to Washington, October -24, 177tl, "Our 
people have had extreme hard duty. The common guards, com- 
mon fatigue, and the extraordinary guiii'ds and extraordinary 
fatigue for tlie removal of the stores and forwarding the provi- 
sions, has kept every man on duty." These labors consisted of 
the removal that month of the stores and provisions gathered dur- 
ing the summer on the Island, and then conveyed by way of the 
King's Bridge to Washing-ton's army in Westchester; and with the 
shortage of horses and wagons this must have constituted a severe 
task. 

It was that anxious period when the future plans of the liritisli 
were causing the greatest troubles of the patriot officers, after 

37 



Relics of the Revolution 



Hale's life had been sacrificed to their need for information, and 
when forebodings of the possible fate of Fort Washington were 
occupying the minds of the Commander and his trusted assistants, 
that the question arose as to the disposition of the shelters and 
barracks which had cost so much labor to erect. 

" General Mifflin thinks it not advisable to pull the barracks 
down yet," continues Greene's letter of October 24th. " He has 
hopes of our army returning to that ground for winter quarters,'' 
a view which Lee had previously ridiculed. Greene expressed 
fears that " if the enomy should throw in a thousand or fifteen 
hundred men '' at King's Bridge, they covild cut off our com- 
munication otFectually, and '' as the state of the barracks are, they 
would find exceeding good cover for the men. But if we w'ere 
to take the barracks down, (even) if the boards were not removed, 
it would in a great measure deprive them of that advantage." 

Preliminary precautions were thereupon taken by Greene, who 
wrote, ■' I have directed all the wagons to lie employed in picking 
up the scattered boards about the encampments. I believe, from 
what I saw yesterday in riding over the ground, they will amount 
to many thousands. As soon as we have got these together, I 
purpose to begin upon the barracks." On the 28th of October he 
wrote to General !Mifflin, " The people have been employed in 
getting the boards together at Fort Washington and the ferry. 
Some have been brought from King's Bridge. To-day I sent up 
to Colonel Lasher, in command at Fort Independence, to know 
what assistance he could give towards taking down the barracks 
and bringing off the boards, and had for answer that he had orders 
to burn the barracks, quit the post, and join the anny by way of 
the North Eiver at the 'Wliite Plains." 

General Greene feared that the effect of this action would be 
to oblige Colonel Magaw to draw his forces within the fortifica- 
tions, " as the enemy will have a passage open upon his back," 
which is just what eventually had to be done, the step allowing 
the Hessians later to establish themselves on the island and repair 



38 



The American Army on the Heights 



the broken King's Bridge. " If the barracks are not burnt in 
the morning and the enemy don't press too hard upon us, we will 
try to get away some of the boards." But even while he had been 
writing these words, these buildings on King's Bridge Heights 
were being reduced to ashes. Three days later the tardy enemy 
appeared on the scene to find " everything of value gotten away," 
and the King's and Fanner's bridges cut down. 

There is good reason from the foregoing to suppose that the 
baiTacks upon Manhattan Island, were not entirely destroyed or 
removed, as they were in use up to the time of the assault which 
was made by the combined forces of Howe and von Knyphausen 
on November the 16th. The possession of such shelters as these 
barracks afforded, however crude they may have been, proved of 
immediate value to the captors of Fort Washington at that period 
of the year, and it is certain that those near by the fort and prob- 
ably elsewhere were promptly occupied by the British and Hes- 
sian regulars. Thus the structures which had for several months 
formed the only shelter of the poor patriots who shivered through 
the chill autunmal nights during the defence of the heights, and 
upon which much of their labor and some of their high hopes had 
been expended, passed into the possession of their opponents. 



39 



IV 

THE BRITISH AND HESSIAN ARMIES ON THE HEIGHTS 

Oil K^oveinbcr the sixteenth, 1770, tlie newborn banner of free- 
dom was lowered, to be seen no more in this locality for seven 
weary years, and the Hag of Britain took its place over the 
Fortress, on the security of which the hopes of its defenders had 
been placed. Xotwitjistamling the terms of surrender which were 
promised, the reinitation of the Hessians for bnitality was so 
great that the captured men feared the worst treatment. When 
Captain von Malsburg, detailed to take possession, entered the 
lines of the fort he M-as, lie says, " surrounded with officers with 
fear and anxiety in their faces. They invited him to their bar- 
racks, pressed punch, wine and cohl cakes upon him, complimented 
him on his affability, and told him they had not been led to expect 
such from a Hessian officer." 

The men M'ere told to fall iu, and were marched out to surrender 
their arms. They must have gone down the lane that led to the 
fort from the King's Highway, through their abandoned breast- 
works to some open space near the barracks, where they were mus- 
tered for their march to captivity. Between a double line formed 
by the regiments of Colonels Rahl and Lossberg, the patriots 
" laid down their anus, and gave up their yellow, blue and white 
banners, on which Knyphausen looked with disdain," and fonning 
into lines the dejected jjrisoners tramped between a heavy guard 
to their fate in the City. 

.\rt)und the slo]ie of Fort Tryon, and the face of the bluff 
extending thence to ISTtli Street, were stretched the dead of the 
Hessian and Waldeck forces, and over on the Hudson side of the 
Laurel Hill, and around the jMorris House, lay a score of British 
dead and five times that number of wounded men. The Hessian 
wounded lay thickly around Fort Tryon, many of them cursing 
their lot, and the dying bewailing the fate which had brought 

40 



The British and Hessian Armies on the Heights 

them into a quarrel in which they had no interest beyond a paltry 
pittance of pay. Many of their dead were evidently buried where 
they lay, or where the presence of sufficient earth enabled the body 
to be concealed, as shown by the remains which several times 
have been disturbed in the vicinity of the Fort upon the Hays 
property. 

The wounded of the Hessians were ordered to be taken to Mor- 
risania, and upon their removal and the interment of the dead, 
some of whom were no doubt buried in what afterwards became 
the " Garrison Burying gi-ound," at Fort Washington Avenue and 
181st Street, and others perhaps in the little Nagel burying plot 
at 212th Street, the troops settled down into the occupation of the 
Heights, which lasted for almost exactly seven years. 

The troops were promptly assigned to various quarters. The 
British brigades were divided, part being sent back towards New 
York, including the troop of the 17th Light Dragoons. Of the 
Hessians, five regiments were returned to the City, and the rest, 
under ilajor General Schmidt, were entrusted with the garrison- 
ing of the advanced positions so recently held by their opponents, 
in Fort Independence, and in those upon the hills commanding 
the creek of " Spiking Devil." The 4th battalion of Hessian 
Grenadiers, under Colonel Kohlcr, held Fort Washington itself, 
and the other German detachments settled into the late quarters of 
the Americans. 

Captured arms were ordered to be delivered to Brigadier Gen- 
eral Cleaveland, " and no person on any account allowed to buy 
or sell them," for they would not improbably have found their 
way to American hands. Had it not been for this order many 
more discarded weapons might have been found on the Heights. 

It was also directed that " all stores, lumber, etc.," taken from 
the Enemy, Arms, Ammunition and Artillery excepted, are to be 
taken charge of by Quarter Master General." 

The Chief Engineer, Colonel ilontresor, was ordered to inspect 
the works of the Fort and to report upon their condition, which 

41 



Relics of the Revolution 



he evidently did, and designated some part of them as uuuecessary 
or unsuitable, for some portions were ordered to be demolished, 
but others were then, or later, strengthened. 

General Knypliauscn took up his (juartors, with his staff, in 
the abandoned Eoger Morris house, and thence sent his reports 
of this, the most important success of his troops, to his home gov- 
ernment. In the general orders of Sir William Howe, he was 
especially thanked for his services in taking the Fort and the 
compliment was officially paid him, of ro-namiug the captured 
fort in his honor, as " Fort Knyphausen," by which title it became 
pretty generally known for several years, by friend and fo€ alike. 

The autumn was perfectly fine; "the tinest weather for the 
season ever known, and such a Fall as no Man can recollect," and 
the sounds of actual warfare ceased for a time, but military life 
swarmed over the Heights in every direction, and the few remain- 
ing residents must have found themselves in very rough and unde- 
sirable company if they ventured abroad to attempt any of their 
one time avocations. The farm houses were all occupied by officers, 
as shown by regimental buttons on the sites of the Oblienis, Dyck- 
nian and Xagel homes. 

Thus commenced the course of events upon the Heights and in 
tlio Inwood Valley which turned this hitherto peaceful locality 
into an armed camp, its hilltops into earthworks and forts bristling 
with cannon, and its humble homes into officers' quarters. The 
tide of actual conflict swept across the Harlem into the debatable 
land, but the alarms of war, the thunder of cannon and the march- 
ing and counter-niarching of the IkkHcs of armed men wore a con- 
stant accompaniment of the life of the Heights, from ]77(i to 178". 

Bare and uncultivated, stripped of every tree and bush, dusty 
and sweltering in summer, wind-swept and iinsheltered in winter, 
the hills and vales must have presented a forlorn and desolate<l 
appearance, only partly relieved by the buildings, the flags and 
tents and the gay nnifonns of its military occupants. 

Of the motley collection of nationalities, English, Irish, Scotch, 
Tory, Hessian and Hanoverian, which composed the shifting and 

42 



The British and Hessian Armies on the Heights 



kaleidoscopic army of occupation of the Heights, there is most 
fortunately preserved for our information a description in the 
diary of a Saxon officer which is full of details of local intei-est. 
I'hcse have been supplemented and confirmed by the discovery 
of the camp sites and of the fortified positions, to which his record 
refers, in the recent exploratiims and search for relics that are 
to be described. 




Colonial tilassware in tlio I'ulleeticm of Iti'lics at Washington's Hcadfjuartcrs 

Among the Genuans who, during the licvolutionary period, made 
their military home, or rather occupied uncomfortable quarters, 
in this locality, was one who had the habit of keeping a diary, 
which record, owing to the rather unusual circumstances that the 
diarist, after the close of the war, returned to America, where he 
married and settled down for life, was preserved by his descend- 
ants and has been translated and published by the New York His- 
torical Society. With a drum-head as his table, and with an 

43 



Relics of the Revolution 



extreme shortage of writing material, involving the most minute 
chirography and laborious draftsmanship, Sergeant John Charles 
Philip von KrafFt wrote memoranda and obsen'ations, aceom- 
])anied by drawings and maps, dictated by a keen interest in his 
surroundings, and an intelligent aiipreciatiou of military affairs, 
which together affonl an extraordiuarv and vivid picture of the 
military life of that period as it existed on Washington Heights. 

He was not engaged in the capture of the position, nor did he 
make his appearance here until nearly two years had elapsed 
thereafter, but from the year 1T7S onwards to the end, he was 
([uartered from time to time in its various forts and camps, and 
records his impressions, his views ;ind his obsen^ations in daily 
detail. 

Having left his home in Dresden, and abandoned bis position 
as a sub-officer in the Saxon service, for a hoped-for career of 
adventure and advancement, von Krafft drifted first to Russia 
and thence to England, to France, and even to Canada and back 
again, ere be reached the scene of conflict then proceeding in the 
States, and volunteered to Washington, at Valley Forge, his ser- 
vices in the patriotic cause. Disajipointed by the lack of an avail- 
nble couunissioned position, he made his way thi-ough the lines 
into Philadelphia, and entered the Hessian service as a " Volun- 
teer Sergeant " in the ]\rnsketeer Regiment of Colonel von Donop, 
in which capacity he eventually made his appearance upon Wash- 
ington Heights in the blazing heat of a July day in the year 1778. 

His spelling is Saxon in forju and amusingly phonetic in 
respect of our puzzling local nomenclature. " Spaken hill " stands 
for Spuyteu Duyvil Hill and " Spaken Dubbel " for the Creek, 
while " King's Pritsch " and " Fort Intepenteuce " will be more 
readily recognized than " Forsed hill," or Forest Hill, later Fort 
Tryon. In erecting, demolishing, remodeling and repairing the 
military works at these and other points to suit the varying ideas 
of successive commandants, von Krafft was employed during the 
five vears of his service. 



44 



The British and Hessian Armies on the Heights 

One of his first visits was to friends in the Eegiment " Erb- 
prinz " then camped in the camp on Laurel Hill, or Fort George, 
where he evidently enjoyed the hospitality of that famous regi- 
ment's canteen, and in July, 1778, when for a time he had joined 
the Chasseurs, he was quartered at the Eoger Morris house, then 
the German General's headquarters. While in service with the 
Chasseurs he marched along the high road across the King's bridge, 
and later did out-post duty on the Cock-Hill overlooking " Spaken 
Dubbel," where the Inwood mosciuitoes made sleep impossible. 
With the same corps he took part in foraging expeditions into 
Westchester County where he was careful to secure his own share 
of the poor farmers' stock and produce, penetrating as far as 
" Weit Blane " in such quests. Jn November, 177S, he was on 
duty in the Cock-Hill Redoubt, and in December of that year, 
entered camp near Fort Knyphauseu, alternating turns of duty on 
the Laurel Hill ramparts, and across the Harlem, with camp jolli- 
fications, which resulted in his becoming involved in several broils 
and fights. From his gossiping notes, we learn much of the cir- 
cumstances of the garrisons of the forts and the soldiery in camp. 

The troops in those daA'S went early into their winter quarters, 
consisting of huts, nine for each company, ten men to a hut. These 
we now know to have been the dug-outs discovered in several jiarts 
of the Heights. In summer the men cultivated the ground around 
them with vegetables and even with flowers. In winter time these 
were not available; fi-esh food was scarce, and so the men were 
sick and discontented. The steep ground occupied by the hut camp 
before Fort Knyphauseu, on the line of Bennett Avenue, has some 
terraced plots, probably the Germans' little truck patches. On 
Fort George Hill the site of the Laurel Hill camp has been pretty 
clearly established by debris found in the rich soil which is even at 
this late date under cultivation at 194^tb Street. From the notes 
in the diary we gain some knowledge as to the condition of the 
fortifications on the Heights. 

Frequent threats of attack u^xm the exterior forts around Iving's 

45 



Relics of the Revolution 



Bridge decided the British authorities to abaudou aud destroy 
them, so in the fall of 1770 the works of Fort Independence 
and of ISTiimbcrs Four to. Seven, forming the exterior chain of 
defences, were dismantled, and the garrisons were withdrawn to 
Manhattan island. Relics found in these places, therefore, ante- 
date the year 1770. Fort Prince Charles, on Marble Hill, thus 
became the most northerly outpost. lu order to maintain com- 
munication with Fort Xo. 8 on University Heights, a sort of 
rope or cable ferry known as '' Holland's Ferry " was established 
on the Harlem Kiver from the mouth of Sherman's Creek at 201st 
Street, where a camp was established. The ferry was assailed by 
the wily American irregulars, who during the following year crept 
in at night, cut the cable, drove out a guarding force on the Bronx 
side, and burned huts which they occupied there. 

The threat of attack on the defenses of the island, which in 
.July, 1781, was made by Washington and Rochambeau, was 
actually witnessed by von Krafft from Laurel Hill, and their 
forces were seen by him around Van Courtlandt Park. For ten 
days the combined American and French brigades, amounting to 
about four thousand men, were in sight of the troops on the 
Heights, while the eminent connnanders made personal observa- 
tions of the appearance of the Bi'itisli and Cerman defenses. Wash- 
ingfon's diary records several observations of this nature, which 
are of value to our local history. The discovery of French mili- 
tary objects in the military debris is thiis explainable. 

In von Kraift's record is much information as to the number of 
the troops and the character of the corps which from time to time 
formed the garrison of the various military works, their rapid 
changes bringing about the aliandonment of some of the service- 
able materials which have come to light when the sites of their 
l)arracks, huts or camps have been explored. 

Among several productions of von Krafl't's skill as a draftsman 
is a panoramic sketch which he nnide in 1770 fi-om Laurel Hill 
(Fort George Hill), representing the field of view from Inwood 
Hill on the north to Fort No. 8 (the site of New York LTniversity) 

46 



The British and Hessian Armies on the Heights 

on the east, both inchisive. This has been most helpful in 
identifying many of the military landmarks in this region. The 
sketch is reproduced in photogravure with von Krafft's diary in 
the publications of the New York Historical Society for the year 
IS82J, but from the nature of the process of reproduction is obscure 
in some details. With a knowledge of the ground portrayed and 
the results of the explorations described in these pages, and with 
the aid of a magnifying glass, Ur. Edward Hagaman Hall has 
carefully redrawn the sketch with pen and ink, bringing out the 
distinctive features more clearly than in the photogravure, and it 
is reproduced on page 48 herewith. Eiforts to hn^ate the original 
sketch by von Krafft have proved unavailing, and its whereabouts 
are unknown. Following is a translation of the original German 
title and explanation of the sketch. 

"Situation plan of tlie Island of New York in North Amerii-a, but only 
on the east side in the neighl)Oili(]od of what had been Fort Washington but 
was afterwards Knyphausen; which I myself sketched in the month of May, 
1779, from Laurel Hill. But this was not drawn until 1781, in the month 
of January and in the hut camp at Fort Knyphausen. 

"Explanation: No. 1, 2, 3, on Speiten Devil, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Q, American 
redoubts. G (script) Kings redoubts. I (script) Independence. V, block- 
house. Above-named redoul)ts which were constructed partly by the Ameri- 
cans, partly by tlie English, were demolisbed in the Autumn of 1779 during 
the construction of tlie line of cireumvallation, in which I was also ordered 
to assist the English engineer, Lieut. Sproule of the 16th regiment. 0, torn- 
down houses; also hut camps no longer existing, such as: K, Emmerich's 
Chasseurs' camp; Z, Hessian Yagers and Chasseurs' camp; S, camp of the 
17th English regiment which had been taken prisoners; E, Pontoon bridge 
then existing; M. Queen's bridge, destroyed; F, storehouse taken down; T, 
former camp of tlie regiment of Life Guards; U, orchard cut down for the 
barricades. B, tlie Island of New Jersey. A. North or Cox Hill and its 
redoubt. C, Charles redoubt and D the guard-house there. The same from 
A on are still in existence, as also is G, Upper Courtlandt's and H, Lower 
Courtlandt's house. N, King's Bridge. L, inhabited house. R, some huts of 
negroes, plantations and houses called Morisina. No. 8, redoubt. Ex (script) 
ferry crossing, otherwise called Holland's Ferry. \V, Laurel Hill. X, still 
another place fortified by the Americans and improved by the English, a'a 
the intrenchments newly constructed in the year '79. a2a, and a^a called 
Fort Clinton. Y, huts suljsif|ucntly built by the 44th English regiment before 
the construction of the new intrenchments." 

47 






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WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS AND THE CAMP OF 
THE 38TH FOOT REGIMENT 

At the tiuie wlu'ii the tide of warfare was moviug towards the 
City of ^'ew York, the heights of the upper end of the island of 
Alanhattaii were in the peaceful occupation of farmers, and in 
part were in the same condition of wild woodland in which they 
had existed from time immemorial. The only change that had 
come about iu the ninety yeai's that had elapsed since Jan Kiersen 
had leased the Indiau lield in l(J8(i, consisted in the advent of sev- 
eral residents of the wealthier class, attracted to the locality, 
doiibtless, by its varied charms of scenery, and its healthful alti- 
tude. 

Two private residences had been erected for residents of this 
class, the one constructed near 147th Street and the other, which 
is still in existence, at IfiOth Street, both situated on prominent 
heights, overlooking wide vistas of the low-lying lands of Harlem 
and flic Ih'onx, to the glistening waters of the Souiul. 

The pioneer settler had loug liefore transferred his operations 
from the Indian clearing to a i>roperty on the east side of the 
post-road, extending between 158th and 16!jrd Streets, and having 
built thereon a luuuble dwelling of the usual cottage farmhouse 
type, had been gathered to his fathers about 1750, at an advanced 
age. The attractive position of this little farm, above the bold 
bluffs overhanging the winding Harlem, invited the attention of 
travellers, and when Major Roger ilorris was seeking a suitable 
site for a summer residence, his choice fell on this place. He pur- 
chased it and erected thereon about 1763, the handsome Colonial 
dwelling, which, after many vicissitudes of occupation and owner- 
ship, is now a treasured possession of the City of New York. 

The expense of the building was probably borne by the ample 
estate of his wife, ilary Philipse, whose rights were afterwards 

49 



Relics of the Revolution 



recognized as superior to the act of forfeiture in spite of her hus- 
band's attachment to the British cause. 

Retiring from active service in the 47th Regiment, in 17<>4, with 
the brevet rank of Lieut. ( "olouel, !\rorris settled down to enjoy- 
ment of his home on the Height-*, and took up tlie duties of a mem- 
ber of the King's Council. 




When the course of e\outs indicated the probability of the advent 
of actual warfare to the vicinity, the Morris family left their luler- 
esting home in the care of servants, and upon the arrival of the 
American forces, following the evacuation of New York, the 
vacated building was promptly utilized as the most suitable place 
for the establi.shment of the headquarters, and for the temporary 
residence of General Washington and his statf. 



50 



Washington's Headquarters and Camp of 38th Regiment 



The construction of the defenses of Fort Washington had, prior 
to that time, involved visits from the General and his aides, dur- 
ing which the house had doubtless been observed and marked for 
the purpose to which it was put in September, 177(). 

The building is partlv brick and pai'tiv frame, is of two stories 
and an attic in height, and has a basement extending; under its 
entire space, lighted by small windows. The kitchen was in the 
basement and probably some of the servants' offices. The wide 
fireplace in the soi«|hwest corner of the basement is evidently part 
of its original consti^iction, though the fiooring and other wood- 
work has doubtless l>een subjected tn much replacement. A tra- 
dition, as iu the case of other buildings, alleges the existence of a 
secret passage from the basement to the Harlem Kiver, a not very 
reasonable re(iuirement iu a Colonial gentleman's summer resi- 
dence, and a must im])racticable accompaniment in view of the 
rock on which the house is planted. 

Within the wide parlors of the residence were doubtless enacted 
many scenes of supreme interest, while the building was in mili- 
tary occupation. 

The military map of 1777 indicates that at the time of the cap- 
ture of Fort W.'ishington, a double row of military huts had been 
erected during th(> .\merican occupation, which extended nearly 
parallel with the driveway from the high road to the house, or 
practically on the line of the present private alley known as Sylvan 
Place. These were probably the (piarters of the guard, and per- 
haps of some of the staff. 

Hard by, alongside the high road, there was then standing a 
building, which was several times referred to iu orders as the 
•' White House," or '' iforris' White House," which, in all prob- 
ability, was the one-time dwelling of the Kiersen family It was 
utilized on several occasions for holding conrts-martial, and was 
also the place to which the head of the leaden statue of King (Jeorge 
was taken after the destmction of the monument at the Bowling 



51 



Relics of the Revolution 



Greeu, and from \A'liich it was stolen by Cox, the 'J'orv iiiiikopper of 
Kiiigsbridge. 

The little dwelling appears to have stood at a point about 12") 
feet south of the sdiith side of West IGOtli Street, now beneath an 
apartment house known as Morton Court. Its position here was 
indicated bv the presence o.f old bricks and plaster, disclosed when 
the excavations for that buihling were made. It had i)n)bably 
been razed before the Jumels purchased the estate, for it occupied 
a part of the sjjace which formed the fish pond constructed after 
1812, and round wdiich were planted the Egyptian cypress trees, 
which, until recent years, were a conspicuous feature of the locality. 

Immediately to the roar of this site, in the bank far below the 
margin of the fish pond, was a deposit or " dump " of household 
rul>bisli, in which was a pewter button of a private soldier of the 
57tli or West Middlesex regiment, a nmte evidence of the presence 
of the militai'y at the place. 

It is probable that Oither "dumps" must have existed in the 
vicinity of the Mansion, in which, after the fashion of the times, 
household debris was buried. In the deposit above described there 
was found a number of brass pins of old form, some broken china, 
glass, bones and other domestic debris. The haste with which the 
place Avas cleared precluded more extended search, and nmch more 
was doubtless lost to view forever. 

A search Avas nuide at several pdints in the present grounds on 
the east side of the mansion, and a (juantity of household rubbish 
was found around the roots of one of the old trees which still cling 
to the edge of the rocks where Edgecombe Avenue was cut across 
the property. The material which was found at the place proved 
to be uninteresting, consisting only of masses of charcoal, broken 
lirick and plaster, with oyster and clam shells and broken bottles. 

At several places east of the house under the present grass lawn 
and flower beds, there is more or less broken or scattered debris, 
some of which consists of crockery and chinaware. So far, there- 
fore, the vicinity of the Headquarters House has not proven as 
fruitful in the discovery of relics as have the sites of older though 

52 



Washington's Headquarters and Camp of 38th Regiment 

iimcli humbler dwellings, such as those of Van Ohlienis, of Kort- 
right and Xagcl. 

It is natural to suppose tliat at all times during the militarv 
(M'eujiation of the Heights, some troops were encamped in the 




Itemiiulers of Warfare 



inunediate vicinity of tiie lioger JMorris Mansion, which was used 
as headquarters by the successive commanders of Fort Wash- 
ington. 

The development of the neighborhood has wiped out all traces 
of such occupation, and the only records are, therefore, those rather 

53 



Relics of the Revolution 



scanty descriptions -which exist in the diary of von Krafft, and a 
reference to tlie place in the writings of General Washington. 

In 1778, von Krati't. then quartered at the hnt camp at ISlst 
Street, was on picket duty, on the '.'tli of December " with .-ix 
privates in ^'o. 1, l)ack of wliat was called General Knyphan>cn's 
(piarters, Morris llonsc. :it tlic water's edge, and not far from 
onv regiment's camp." and nw I )ccciiili('i' 2'2. rcci>rds an unpleasant 
experience. "\{ d.iyhrciik tlii- morning, after leaving the picket 
with my six men from No. I, it had heen snowing all night so 
that one conld not lind aii\ I'unt puth — I fell several times into 
large snow-cuvcred pools of water, and tinally into wliat had liecn 
a cess-pool, l)iit fortunately only a little above the knee of my left 
leg. Both of niv biii- toes wcr(^ almost frozen in mv linen stock- 
ings." 

In 1781. Washiiigloii iiuide a recoinioissance of the positions on 
the Heights, fiom the Mori-isania side of the Ilarlein, and wrote 
in his diary nnder date of Jiily IS: " On the Heights opposite the 
Alori'is White Ilonsc, there a|)[)eais to be another regiment, sup- 
posed to be the 3Sth British." 

The following month von KrafVt notes that " the .">4th Englisli 
IJegiment came here from Paul's IIo<ik and pitched their camp in 
fi'ont of the :]8th Begiment near Xew York," that is, nearer than 
he was at the time. Later lie says that liis regiment, then at Fort 
Washington, " gave a watch " with the 38th Kegiment as far 
down as the Fourth mile-stone, when the 54th Begiment moved 
away. 

On September 1. the " HSth received unexpected orders to 
march. They left thi'ir tents standing and all the woinen and 
children and disabled remained bebiiul as hnt and camp wateh." 
On the flth the mounted ^'agers " Took possession of the tent camp 
at Morris House." and on the 14th " the .^Sth Begiment had their 
tents taken down and their baggage sent after them." 

Of this regiment, several buttons ;ind a tine belt plate have been 
found at the barracks site at Fort Washing-ton. but none Tiear the 
vicinity of l.')'.>th Street, where, as previously stated, few relics 



54 



Washinglon's Headquarters and Camp of 38th Regiment 

Lave been found, as it was cut np and built over even earlier than 
other parts of the Heights. (Jpjjosite the residence of Mr. E. B. 
Treat, — -942 Avenue Saint Xicliola.s — a cainp Hre-place was dis- 
turbed upon the widening of the old highway, which contained a 
('oui)lc of the double-headed bar-shot frequently used as fire-dogs. 
When the old cypress trees were cut down which surrounded the 
pond on the one time Jumel estate, there was found below the 
original soil, above which the l)ank of the pond had been formed, 
with the debris, broken china, glass, pipe stems and bottles, and 
a Tiumber of brass pins, as previously desci'ibed, and a single num- 
lici-ed military button of the 57th Eegiment or West ^fiddlesex. 
Near this was a smaller button with a spiral design on its face, 
similar to those which were worn at that period by French officers. 
The latter does not, of course, indicate the actual presence of such 
■A foreign officer on this ground, but the proximity of the French 
Army in 1781 rendei's it jirobabie that the button was secured by 
some person and brmiglit to this vicinity after the French had 
retired, leaving behind them, on their line of march or places of 
bivouac, such souvenirs of their presence. 

llie room in the Mansion which has been set aside for the exhi- 
bition of the military relics of the locality is that on the west side, 
at the rear of the main entrance hall, generally known as the 
Guard Room. Like the other principal rooms of the building, it 
has windows on two sides, the north and west light being very 
well siiited to the purpose of exhibition. 

The rooau has doubtless been repaired in modern times as the 
flooring appears to be more recent than that of the attic, where the 
chestnut planking is more than a foot in width. In the south- 
east corner, a doorway once existed, which apparently communi- 
cated by a steep staii-way or ladder, with the basement, the space 
enclosing which is offset in walls of the main hallway. This 
formed a slioit cut to the kitchen ; so the room may have served 
as a servants' living room and would, therefore, have naturally 
answered for the purpose of having the military guard in attend- 
ance on the staff. 

55 



Relics of ihe Revolution 



The wall spaces on either side of the mantel have been utilized 
to mount under glass part of the old French wall paper, which 
was prohalilv the original decoration of the walls of the large par- 
lor, used as a Council Chamber at the rear of the house. 

A\"ithin the Guard room are now arranged several cases pro- 
vided by the Department of Parks, in which are placed most o-i 




Tlif (Jiinril IvfKim nt \\'a^liiiij;t(in's Ilpadrinaitrrr 



the militarv olijeols which have been found around the Heights in 
the searches to be later described. 

Tiir collection consists exclusively of tlio?e objects of a nilli- 
taiv character with others found in the same places, which have 
been discovered on Washington Heights. The collection has been 
carefully arranged as a locality exhibit, the various things found 
in and near each militarv site being grouped together. Some 
repetition of objects of a similar character necessarily results, but 

56 



Washington's Headquarters and Camp of 38th Regiment 



this fact contributes evidence of their general use in military life 
at that period, and identifies other objects as of similar character. 

The method which has l)een followed in the display has been 
to ari'ange the large ol)jocts in the lower spaces of the cases, and 
the smallest objects in flat frames in an npper space. The middle 
part of each case affords a tint space upou which objects of medinm 
size can be well seen, and such interesting things as coins and 
buttons, deserving very close observation, are set on glass trays 
supjiorted on inverted wine glasses so as to bring them close to the 
underside of the glass cover of the case. The uniterials lieing 
rather unusual, a number of experiments had to. be made to secure 
the best results in their arrangement and display, which may be 
of value to other collectors. 

In fixing the snndler objects in place, use has been made of 
modeling clay, by which they can be supported at any angle best 
suited to their examination. 

The large objects, such ;is slmf, are supported by wotiden and 
brass curtain rings which are excellent means to prevent their 
rolling about if the case be moved. 

The coloring of the interior of these ease,s was a matter of many 
experiments, various tints being tried with colored cards. It was 
found that for such objects, most of which are rusty, a brownish 
cream color was far the best for contrast and light, and the entire 
interior of the cases was thus painted in \'M". when the contents 
were re-arranged, numbered and indexed. 

The labeling of the exhibits was no small task, and involved a 
study of type and color, as well as proportions. To avoid the 
appearance of rigidity and tameness, the labels are not made of 
uniform size, but all are hand drawn on cream colored card, which 
is cut and sand-papered to a white beveled edge. They are sup- 
ported at a .suitable angle on wire stands bent out of paper clips, 
as no other suitable support could be found. 

The angle at which the card must stand varies with position, 
those in the lower part of the case and in the front of the upper 
part, being set at a flatter angle than those at the rear. 

57 



Relics of the Revolution 



Use has been made of some photographs in order to show loca- 
tions of the finds and more sliould be done in this direction, if 
space were avaihilile. 

The objects have all been niunbered 1i,v jilaeiiig a printed nnm- 
ber alongside lA each, mounted on a small colored card. This has 
been done with a \iew to the eventual preparation of a complete 
catalogue. At present, only a temporary typed catalogue has been 
prepared and is placed in the loom for reference. 'I'lie large num- 
ber of children who visit the exhibit and demonstrate their interest 
by reading flic labels, show the value of flic latter system, rather 
than that of a cataliifiue. It has been strikingly apparent that the 
interest of young people especially is aroused by this exhibit, and 
that tlicy will sjiend more time in its obsen^ation than upon other 
collections. 

An increase of interest in the locality is a result, both with the 
younger and the older visitors. 

Upon the mantel a case has been arranged in which samples of 
glass and china ware are displayed to advantage, some of the most 
<-omplete objects discovered being placed there for better observa- 
tion, including several whole liquor bottles, schnapps tlasks, plates 
and cups. 

rpon the hearth of the fireplace there has been reconstructed 
the rude stone fireplace of the hut (numbered 10) of the camp of 
the Body Regiment, which was measured, photographed and 
removed to this place in ]9i:>. On the ashes of this fireplace are 
arranged examples of the crude pot hooks, tongs and other utensils 
made by the soldici'v out of bari'cl-hoofjs. 

The large cases are nuiuliercd. and dexoted to the cxhiliitiou of 
objects from the following localities: 

(1) Fort Washington and vicinity of 181st Street. 

(2) Fort Tryon and the Body Guard Camp. 

(?,) Fort George, and the 201st Street Camp Site. 
(4) Tu three sections: 

A. TTth Regiment Camp — Prescott Avenue and 
vicinity. 

58 



IVashingion's Headquarters and Camp of 3Sth Regiment 



B. Temporary displays of recent finds. 

C. The Miisketcer Camp and region round 168tli 

Street. 

In the center of the room are two table cases in which grouped 
olijects are exhibited. A, tray contains nnitilated lead Imllets of 
various kinds: another the samples of cut lead sheet, and another, 
leaden pencils of the camps. 

Some grouped exhil)its are mdunted in wall frames. One con- 
tains objects of the nature^ of cavalry belongings found near the 
old ( 'entury house, at wlii<-ii liuttons of the 1 Ttli T>ight Dragoons 
were discovered. Another is a gi'ou]) of the soldiers' pot hooks 
from various fireplaces, and anoflnT. the table cutlery of the 
Centurv House. 



59 



VI 
CAMP OF THE MUSKETEER REGIMENT VON DONOP 

On the evening of Xovember 15, 1778, just two years after the 
fall of Fort Washington, von Krafft '* arrived at the camp of onr 
regiment at the Eleventh mile-stone below Fort Knyphausen." His 
corps was the Musketeer regiment von Donop, which, like other 
Hessian regiments, took its name from its " Chef " or titular Col- 
onel, who in this case was Colonel AVilliam Plenrv Augustus von 
] )onop. 

The Flevcnth mile-stone, one of those wliich had lieen placed 
on the high road about nine vears betVire this date, stood in those 
days near the line of 17'5rd Street on the <ild King's Bridge Koad, 
whicli is now re-named l!i-oadway. The high road at this point 
reached the sunmiit of a hill, whence Fort Washington was in view 
on still higher ground half a mile to the north. The Sauthier map 
of 1777 indicates some sort of a building occupied as (]uarters by 
the .Vmcficaii ti-oii]is. and others, on the west side of the high road, 
at aliout the line of Hi'.lth Street. 

On the military maji of 178l'. which is in nnicli greater detail, 
there is a considerable enclosure at about 17-lth Street on the 
easterly side of the hi^li-rnail. having several building within it, 
which may be assnmed to have been stables and barrack huts. 'I'his 
space ap)ieai-s to liave lieen on the site of the ]>resent Fort Wash- 
ington i'resbytei-iaii ('hiirch. The sloping side of the hill towards 
(lie sonlli. altlidugli \cry exposed to the winds from the west, 
binned a not altogether unfavorable position for a camp, particu- 
larly as there were several small springs of water in tlie vicinity. 
One of these is still to be seen in vacant land between 170th and 
171st Streets, near Fort Washington Avenue; another, which was 
locally known as " the Washington Spring," is now buried below 
the intersection of IfiSth Street and Haven Avenue, and still 
another was about 200 feet west of Broadway, on the line of 167th 

60 



Camp of the Muslfeieer Regiment Von Donop 



Street, M'liich provided tlie water supply of the Miu'ray farm, and 
overflowed into a marshy area which used to form a pond in win- 
ter, along the west side of the Kinji's I]ridge Road between KWith 
and 169tli Streets. 

Over this area and as far west as Haven Avenne, various traces 
of one time military ofcupation have lieen found. The troops 
whieh first occupied the place were not the Hessians of von Donop's 
corps, as it appears from further references by von Krafi't that 
they were quartered in huts already constructed. '" Our camp," 




Bavonrls of the W'a 



>t' till" Kevolutiim 



he says, under date of 18th November, ITTS, "was very poor, 
because many of the huts which lay around the foot of the bill, 
among them mine, got full fif water whenever it rained." 

" The drinking water was also very bad, and in every respect 
matters were in sncli a state, that if no change is made, diseases 
must unavoidably arise." 

These complaints, though perhaps partly due to the discontent 
of the writer on his return to routine duty, were doubtless justified 
to some extent by the unfavorable conditions of the camp-site, 

61 



Relics of the Revolution 



e 



which in raiiu' wentlier proljably presented several wet and boggy 
areas such as those above referred to, wliich existed until the tilling 
in of Broadway and the <-on<tniction of apartment houses on the 
west side. 

The von J)ono2i j-eginient remained only until December 1, 
1778, possibly because of the exposed condition of the camp. \'on 
]vraift says that in Novenil)er " Tent coverings, iron pegs, axes, 
saws and divers otlier articles were furnished which were very 
serviceable to protect us against the cold." 

The opening nf UiSth Street, lietween Hroadway and Fort 
Washington Avenue, followed liy that of ITOfh .Street, and later, 
ItjOth Street, with the grading that ensued, disclosed a number of 
evidences of military occupation of this area. On the line of the 
former street, about 500 feet west of Broadway, there were found 
a number of large stones which had evidently formed the base of 
some building, and within and around the area enclosed were 
quantities of fragments of animal l)ones. which had been sawn into 
slabs, many being perforated by a circular cutting tool forming 
the bone buttons, some of which have been found on nearly every 
camp site on the Heights. Several i)ocket clasp-knives were also 
found there, with the usual ]>ot-hooks, nails and broken bottles, 
imlicative of the camp life of that period. 

There were scatterecl jiits that had been ilug in the sandy soil, 
in which tires hail bni'ncd. Imt no nnnihercd buttons were discov- 
ered. Workmen rej)orted finding a lielt-])late, and stated that it 
was marked " II. .1." which may have been the initials o{ the Hes- 
sian Jagers, but the oliject was taken away by a teamster and no 
opportunity foi' its examination was att'orded. 

While the grading of the pi-esent ball grounds was proceeding, 
no opportunity could lie found to folk)w up the material so hastily 
disturbed, and only a few objects were preserved by the workmen. 
'I'hose secured included a few bullets and fragments of an exploded 
shell. A cotiple of cannon halls and a good sample of a bavonet 
fell into the possession of a local saloon keeper and were exhibited 



62 



Camp of the Muslfeteer Regiment Von Donop 

for a time in a window iu Amsterdam Avenue but are now 
removed. 

On the sloping bank facing Broadway just south of UlOth 
Street, we found large stones which had formed the fireplaces of 
a row of huts, with much ash and charcoal, but little iu the way 
of other objects. Above these fireplaces on the side of the mound 
was the buried skeleton of a horse. A similar find was made 
behind Hessian huts at Thayer Street. 

Further south, on the line of 167tli Street, there used to be a 
line of boulders set in the bank extending about 100 feet parallel 
with Drondway which may have formed the basi^ or backing of a 
similar line of buildings. 

West of Fort Washington Avenue, on the grounds of the one- 
time Lespinasse residence or " French Academy," at 171st Street, 
to Haven Avenue, were found several fire-places, and some indica- 
tions of a small angular earthwork or redoubt. In one fire pit, 
with the inevitable pot hooks, was the greater part of a square black 
glass schnapps fiask, some broken china and glass, and a part of 
a bayonet. 

Over much of the area, occasional finds have been made of Inii- 
lets and other small objects. The general character of these dis- 
coveries seems to fit in well with the description of the camp by 
von Krafft. The location of the huts close to the bog, the scattered 
fire pits, and tlie scanty material left indicate comparatively lim- 
ited occupation. The only Imttou found was of plain form and 
was probably Hessian. A Saxon coin of the value of 12 Heller 
of the year 1757 was found by a workman somewhere in the vicin- 
ity. This was spoiled in a])]iearance by being carried around with 
other coins in the finder's jiocket, and was finally given away by 
him to a chance acquaintance. 



G3 



VII 
THE VAN OBLIENIS FARM 

Tlie opeiiiuj;- of 17<>tli Strcft across vacant prupertv, between 
lli'dadway and l""iirt Wasliiniitcm Avcnnc. ln'ouulit \<i liylit o\-i- 
(leiice of the oiie-tinn' dwelliiiii- of tlie Van ( )lilienis faiuilv, pioneer 
settlers of the lleiulits. The discovery liecauie of spe<'ial interest. 
because of the prominence of tliat family in the atVairs of the 
township of A'ew llaerleni in its earlv days, and because the 
Ulilienis farm was a direct successor of the ahoriginal cultivation 
of the san)c area, known to the settlers as the " Jiidian tield." 

•loost van ()Mienis, one of the earliest settlers in Xew Haerleni, 
after frequent and loufj- continued service in its various ofRees, 
was at one time the most important personage in the township, in 
which his advice was sought on all matters of puhlic interest. 

When the decision was reached, in ItiOl, to allot among the 
I'reeholders the common lands of .locheni Pieters hills, now Wash- 
ington ncight>. and the itonnd Meadow, now the Dyckman tract, 
one of the tirst allotments made was that in favor of van Oblienis, 
licini; number lit. comprising --•'4 l)utch acres, "" upon the south 
( nd of the Hill." which eminence later liecame known as [Mount 
Wasliington. This, the northerly boundary of this tract, was the 
present ISlst Street, and the fnrthcr aci|uisitions df the family 
lirought its southerly line to I7<Hh Street, wlier(> it extended from 
the Post i-oad to the llmlson. Within this area there had existed, 
long |)rior to tliese divisions, the " (ireat Mai/.e land " or planting 
ground of the local Indians, wliii'li bad liecMi tenqioi-arily occupied 
on a duliious sort of town b'asc by -Ian Kiers<'n and his father- 
in-law. ('a])tain van |)alsen. cm an ai;reement to "be allowed to 
make an orcharil," ami for rental to give a fat ca])on yeaidv. and 

" a fourth part of two hundred guildeis in g 1 wheat, rye, peas fir 

harley, to he given to God the Lord." 

T^^pon this allotment, which thn> included the land alreadv ren- 
dei-ed cnlti\ahle by the lahors of the Wei'k-(|nas-keeks, TTendrick, 

64 



The Van Oblienis Farm 



the son of Joost, took up his abode, and at the time of the death 
of the latter, in the year 1700, had ah'eady erected a dwelling, the 
remains of which and the evidences of its long time occiipation 
have recently come to light. 

The precise position of this building had been for a number of 
years, a subject of discussion by those interested in local history, 
because no signs of such a dwelling could be traced on the surface 
of the grassy upland, whore it has since been found, in spite of 
the very detinite assertion made by the historian, James Kiker, in 
his " History of Harlem," that the dwelling stood '' at the inter- 
section of 12th Avenue and 176th Street, on the tract since 
Arden's." It was thought, by a study of the title to the Haven 
properties forming the north part of the old Oblienis tract, that 
the " messuage," which was sold with 100 acres of the property 
in 1769, might have been the old farm dwelling, and if so, it 
would have occupied a site near that of the old Perkins home on 
the knoll at 179th Street, west of Broadway, around which were 
found traces of Revolutionary fireplaces and huts. 

The position of this residence was upon that part of the Oblienis 
farm conveyed in 17(19 to Blazius Moore, who resided thereon 
after the war. and therefore probably built his home on this site. 
The building walls were of unusually massive construction and of 
materials which were of the age or character of Colonial times. 
Its interior was closely examined when it was razed in 1908. 

While its shell M'as probably much older, its interior structural 
details were of comparatively recent date, and so renewed efforts 
were made to locate the old home of the Dutch colonist. Permis- 
sion was obtained from the estate of the late Edwin Corning Clark, 
to make explorations over the area of the property at I76th Street, 
and in 1911 and 1912, various trial holes were sunk which resulted 
in exposing some remains of modern green-houses on the southerly 
portion of the property, which has since l)een loaned by Mrs. 
Potter to the City for a children's playgTOuud. 

If those examinations had been made a little further to the 
north, they ■would very likely have located the old house materials 

3 . 65 



Relics of the Revolution 



lying below the sods at that time. But the ground was hard, and 
the steel probe would not give good indications, and as other places 
were demanding attention, it was not until the cut was made for 
17<ith Street, across the field from Broadway to Fort Washington 
Avenue, that the site of the house was exposed. The work was 
(luiic with such haste lli;it the wi>rknieii tnre away must «( the sti>ues 
t'nrming the foundations liefore any measurements could be made. 
The line of tliis foundation on the south front of the 1)uildiug was, 
however, jH'etty well (letiiied, and it located the hduse within I'H 
yards of the sjidt iiidirated by Biker. 

The propci'ty was oceupicd l)y llendiiek and his wife Jannetje 
I'ibout, until 174."), when their son. .Johannes Oblienis, Constable 
of Xew Harlem in IT-'SO, succeeded to the estate. In May, ITtiO, 
before the apj)roach of the ti'oubles of the Bevolutiou, he sold one 
hundred acres, the northerly jwrtion, to Jilazius iloore, tobacco 
merchant of Xew York, and conveyed the lower half of the farm 
to his own son, Hendrick, removing then with bis family to the 
Manor of Cortlandt, where lie died in 177."). In this and other 
])arts of the State, descendants of the tamily are still to be found. 

Ai the time when the tide of warfare iiixaded the Heights, Hen- 
drick was living in the old farmhouse with bis wife, ^laria 1 )evoe, 
and bis son .lolin and daughter Helen. At some time during that 
troublt)us period, the record of ^vllich is nof available, the farm and 
dwelling passed to .lacob Arden, who ac(|uired sevei'al pieces of 
projiei'ty on the Heights about that time, and Hendrick jirobably 
joined his parents in their home up State. 

Jacob Arden was a butcher, brother of James Arden, who was a 
tallow chandler, botii being in business in New York City. Jacob 
removed during the war to Kakeat in Bocklaud ('ounty, where 
i'eter Oblienis, the liroth(>r of Johannes, was already settled, 
'ihere he made bis will in 177S and died in 1781, leaving a widow 
Catherine, a son .hicob, and three daughters. Jacob Ai'den, 
butcher of Xew ^'oi-k, jn'oliably the son of the above, and successor 
in his business, died 170S, leavins a widow Anne. 



66 



The Van Oblienis Farm 



Several members of the Oblienis family took active part in the 
war in tJio sen-ice of their country, and thus evidenced their 
patriotic character. 

The old house thus vacated was doubtless utilized by the officers 
of the armies on the Heights, a fact of which plentiful evidences 
were found during the exploration of the site. It is probable also 
that tiic hciiisc was left by the soldiery in a more or less dilapidated 
condition, even if it did not become wholly ruined, or share the 
fate of the Dvckinan home l)y fire. Around the sununit of the 
knnil whicli it occtipiod were t|uantities of broken red bricks, such 
as would have formed a ciiimncy, tbougb not enough to indicate 
that the building had been wholly constructed of such materials. 
It w'as proiiably of heavy frame constrtiction on the stone founda- 
tion, having the lirick cliimnev extending out frcmi the east end 
of the building, as was the case with the IJycknum and other farm 
houses in this locality. IJelow the house on the south-east is the 
curb of a well constructed of stone, and filled to the surface with 
recently dcposilcil rul)liish fr<iHi a nearby cottage on the Clark 
estate. 

A study of tbc' lii-itish hcad(|uaitcrs map of ]?>*- indicates the 
existence of several buildings between the site of the Oblienis 
dwelling and the liigli road, wliicli is at this point now buried 
under P>roadway. 

This led to a search which at various points was rewarded by 
the disclosure of scattered debi'is below the grass. At one point 
there were indications of a fireplace constructed of stone, which 
may have been the remains of a hut, which was probably of the 
character of the buildings shown on the map of 1782. 

Experience gained at other old dwellings soon located the de- 
posits of household rubbish near the house site. A snuill pit at 
the southeast corner of the house, conveniently near the jjorch, had 
been used to deposit a sui'prising quantity of broken china and 
earthenware. As fragment after fragment of similar character 
came to hand, all or nearly all the portions of several ntensils were 
secured. Among those which were complete and were entirely 

67 



Relics of the Revolution 



restored were a pie plate of glazed eartlierware, countless frag- 
ments of which have been found elsewliere, hut never snthcient to 
make a complete plate; a fine hand-painted plate; nearly all of a 
hand decorated sancer and tea cup of English Delft-ware ; and a 
green-edged Leeds cream-ware plate. Several articles of black 
glazed earthenware, including an egg cup, were found, with en- 
graved and cut glass objects, indicating some refineniont in the 
table furnishing of the family. (See page (iO. ) 

Above these peaceful remains were distinctly military objects, 
such as an iron grape shot and a leaden bullet, which atforded a 
clue to the military occupation of the place. 

At the rear of the site the principal rubbish deposit of the 
house was found, where a tangle of coarse weeds grew in the 
enriched soil. A mass of household rubbish and ashes was found 
at a depth of from a foot to two feet below, the upper layers of 
which soon proved to be of military character. These included 
nearly two dozen of pike-butt points, which have been found on 
every soldiers' camii, and several of the little rectangidar iron 
plates perforated with a keyed opening, the iise of which is not 
known. Two large sipiare sockets having a handle on a chain, 
were found, of which another spe<'inien was taken oui of the bar- 
rack site (in iJennett .Vvcnuc These wei-e followed by more deter- 
minate evidence in the shape of a pewter button of the American 
Continental army, and a silver button of the 54tli liritish foot 
regiment. The latter corps was that in which Major Andre held 
his commission, and which was, according to von Kratft, encamped 
upon the Heights in August, ITSI. "The S-tth English Eegi- 
ment came hei'c," he writes, "from Paul's hook, and pitched their 
camp in fi'ont of the "iSth Ti(>giment near N^ew York." 

The pit containing the rubliish descended to about three feet 
depth at the lowest point, and eventually extended to ten or more 
feet diameter. It contained, besides the military objects, quantities 
of honei?, shells, large and small forged nails, spikes, hinges, pad- 
locks, broken bottles and scraps of earthenware, and a few honse- 
hold articles such as knives and forks, evidencing the usual house- 

68 



Relics of the Revolution 



hold waste. ^Masses of rod Coldiiial brick lay at the end of the 
pit nearest the dwelling. 

A careful examination df the great elierrv trees was made; one 
(if tlicse was between in and I 1 feet in cironnifcrcnee. and lliongh 
perhaps sneeessors of the oreiiard of Kiersen and van Dalsen, they 
wei-e all less than a hnndred years of age, and prolialtly wei'c 
planted along the ednrse of a di'iveway that led froni the old 
high road to the farndionse. 

Connected as it is with the history of the leading family of the 
little old town>hi]i. and occnjiying land the history and nse of 
which extend^ Inick bryoiid the advent nf the white man, it may be 
regarded as a vcvy furtnnate occnrrence that it was possilde to 
secni'e so nuicli (■vid('n('(\ identifying for fnture record the site of 
the home of the old I )iitch family of \an Oblienis. 

.Vftcr the sale of tlie nortlici'ly part of the ()lilicnis farm in 
1 Tli'J, the property passed from iJlazins Moore throngh several 
hands to the late Hosea !!. Perkins. ITis residence was a two- 
story stone Iinilding with two large sqnare wings and standing 
snrronnded by beantifnl lawns and shade trees, facing Broadway 
at I79th Street. Its gi-onnds extendcil to Fort Washington .\ve- 
nne from iTSth to tsOrh Street. 

While the work of ginding away the gronnds aronnd the dwell- 
ing was being hastily cai-ried ont. some significant traces of the 
past nse of the place by the military came to liglit. Two small 
bar-.shot were fonnd on a li replace near Broadway, wliicb had 
evidently been nsed in the firejdace of one of the hnts, of which 
there were ti'aces at se\-eral points along the road. Xortheast of 
the honse, on the edge of the (devated terrace which extended 
across its front, there was a jjit in which were very many frag- 
ments of old Ixtttles. a case bottle or flask, some china ware, pottery, 
a shoe-bnckle. and old nnnun'ked clay pipes. Southeast of the 
honse, abont the same level, was a l>ricked hearth with ashes, in 
which a nmsket bnllet was found. Further to the northeast was 
another '" dump,"' with large oyster shells and much charcoal, and 



70 



The Van Oblienis Farm 



iu this was foxnid a \ery large clumsy iron lock operated with a 
screw. 

This curious screw-lock consists of an iron box or frame about 
three inches deep and ten inches scpiare. Through the center there 
passes the bolt, which is secured to a screw, set parallel and pro- 
vided witli a hand-wheel or nut, by which it can be turned. There 
has evidcutiv liceii a wnnii-wbccl or screw lever, which has been 




pivoted on the bolt, but was not found with it. There is a guide 
or trough on the inside of the bolt plate. The method of opera- 
tion is not quite clear, but it is ingenious and in its construction is 
an excellent piece of smith's workmanship. 

This was found near the three old underground vaults which 
were uncovered under the terrace of the old mansion, and may 
have belonged to one of their doors. Close to Broadway the re- 



71 



Relics of the Revolulion 



mains of a building were found, which consisted of rough stones, 
with a brick hearth, on and around which were broken bottles, 
china, wine-glasses and pipes. One of the bottle-necks bore traces 
of wire which had secured the cork. Near the rear of the house 
was buried an old bill-hook and a spade of the old narrow form 
of Colonial times. 

The haste with which the clearance of the soil and rock was 
made precluded any careful excavation, or even any opportunity 
of watching the process, as practically every part of the surface 
soil of this large area was cleared away within a period of two 
weeks, and at a season of the year unsuited to outdoor exploration. 
The soil was carried away and used to fill in West 173rd Street, 
between Broadway and Fort Washington Avenue, where, no doubt, 
some of the materials lost to sight in the process of clearing the 
site may some day be turned up. The huts along the west side 
of the King's Bridge road in the Revolution probably extended 
from the Oblienis farm to this point and in view of their con- 
venient proximity to the Bhxe Bell tavern and to the Garrison 
Barracks, it seems possible that such huts would be those occupied 
by officers. Reference to huts near the Blue Bell was made by 
Washington, who saw them during bis reconuoissance in 1781, 
from Spuyten Duyvil hill top, but thought they looked more like 
stables than quarters. 

Directly in the rear of this property, across Fort Washington 
Avenue, an excavation for the Chelsea Methodist Episcopal 
Church brought to light other evidences of military life. The 
site, at the north-west corner of I78tli Street, was cleared in 
1909, in great haste, and a number of fireplaces were disturbed 
around rocks, about one hundred feet from the Avenue, from 
which Mr. John Brown, the contractor, rescued a bayonet and 
seven of the largest size of double-headed bar-shot, weighing 
upwards of twenty-five pounds apiece. Others were disposed of 
by the workmen to a junkman at 10 cents apiece. He also secured 
the blade of a lance, which he presented, with two of the shot, 

72 



The Van Oblienis Farm 



to the collection at the Headiiiiarters HoTise and one to the City 
College. In clearing out one fire-pit, there were afterwards found 
an iron canteen of the type used by Hessian soldiers, and a large 
brass buckle, both lying in the ashes of the fire pit. 

Part of the garrison was probably camped out on this spot, and 
upon hastily vacating their quarters, left behind them such heavy 
impedimenta as these weighty shot, evidently used as fire-dogs on 
the hearths, as showTi by the envelope of wood ashes in which they 
were encased. 

When Fort Washington Avenue was opened years ago through 
the rear of the grounds of the Perkins residence, a fine bayonet 
was found, which is preserved by ilr. Robert Perkins. The 
excavators also disturbed what they reported to be a brick-lined 
grave, said to have contained human remains, supposed to be 
those of a British otficcr, but no details of any objects accompany- 
ing the discovery were recorded. 



73 



VIII 
FORI' WASillNGTON OR lORl KNYPlIAUSIiN 



Mil' di'lciicr' (i|' .--(i iiii]i(irlaiil a furl i licat inn a- l''<irl \\'a--lniigtoii 
iii\ii|\i'i| I lie i|iiaii('riii^' dl' a t'oi'cc williiii lln' ciladci. I'lir liriti.sh 
iiia|) III' 1777 iiidicalcs llial, Uici-i; were four liiiililiiigs within th(! 
bastions of tlio fort. .1 iiiii!;in<^' from (^\])orioiK-(; in (excavating other 
forts, such as Niiiiiln'r l<'oiii' at King's iiridge, it wonid seem that 
tlicsc would priilialily liavc licrn gnard-liouses in wliich a iiiiiidxM' 
of iiirn woidd lie hoii>i'd wlii'ii olF diitv, with some sort of separate 
rooms iir sparr for llir nllircrs in rliai'iic. As we know of no water 
sM|i|il\' witliin llii' lorl. and as ihc [lusilion was yew exposed to 
heal in summer and lo cold winds in winirr, llie lije inside llie 
loii nia\ wril ha\e Ihtii nii|ileasant as \nn Kialll slates lie al one 
I iine found it lo lie. 

A ili'ilisii mililarv niaji uf I 7N'i, in greater detail. al>o shii\\>> 
liiiir liiiildings inside llie furl, llie main entranre In which is 
inilicaled mi llie sontli side in the centre. ,\o traces of tliesf- 
hnihlings lia\c heen found, nor ha\(' sundrv excavat ions at 
various jKiiiils I liniiiiilinnt the inlcriur space yielded aiiv results 
in llie foi'iii of relics of past occupancy, save that the ^nil appeared 
III he more nr le^-. mixed with liroken hrick. 'I'liis di.-appointinc 
result has heen due |iriilialil\ In the e\tensi\e re-grading in past 
times within the I'lirl, iiy which the remains of the huildiligs were 
eillicr remoM'd or hnrieij \f\\ deeply. 

ihc iiiilliiie> III llie earthworks, wliicji must liax'e heen ipiite 
exlciisi\e. are now oiiN lainllv \isilile on llie north side, and 
cannot he li'aceil on the smith. I'lie western hastions are well 
|ii-eser\e(| hnl liiose at the east side have entirely (lisa])peare(l. 
The monument ei'eeled liy .Mr. .lames (hirdou iieiinetl occupies 
till' cenler of tlie northeast hastion. 

When llie ruck al this puinl was heing cleared for ihe monn- 
iiienl. a penny of K i iig ( ieoriic III was fnnnd hy .lolin ( 'rowlev, 

74 



Fori Washington or Fori Kn^phausen 



iu>t lirluw lln' Slid. It six'ius jirolialilc, tlicrcturc, tliat tlio interior 
of tlio tort lias boon ioN'ciod o\or witli tiic material from the ram 
j)arts, iiiid that any debris wliieli exists may be below a consider- 
able de])tli of soil. In I'.tlO, a nnnibor of attempts were made to 
locate traces of iiuildini;s by measurinii' otf space at regular inter- 
vals and diiiijini; sluirt boles. 'I'licre is an old eellar and tire-place 
alnio.st in the center of the fort, but it.s construction appear.s to be 
more modern than the iievolutionarv period. There is a well or 
j-ain water tank snnk in the rock which formed the uorth or center 
bastion of the fort, and wbirb seems to be about twenty feet (h'cp. 
(h-aydon, in his Memoirs, speaks very slinlitiiigly of the Fort and 
refers in particular to the lack of water as a large error on the part 
of the desigiiei's. It seems most |)robable that some such provision 
must ha\'e been made li>i' the occupants of the fiu't, yet there is 
nothing abont il that proclaims its anti(iuity except its rude shape, 
'i'be I'cnniins of short shot holes used in blasting are uuu-e modern. 

Tlie histoi'y of the occuiialion of the l*"ort, after its capture, is 
scanty. We know lliat its charge was at lirsl committed to the 
grenadier battalion of von Koehler, which corps under Itabl'- 
])ersonal direction ha<l overconu' the resi>tance of the American 
force at Fort 'I'ryon. and thus ])ractically bro\ight about the sui-- 
rendcr of Fort Washington. .\fter tin' event, it was ofhcially 
re-named Fort Kn\|)bansen, in honor of the ifessian (ieneral 
who had demanded and had received its ^urrender. 

'J'he Hrst reference to its occupation thereafter is by von Krallt. 
from whom we learn that the 'rrnmliacb Keginicnt was ordered 
into the barracks within the fort in November, 17TS; and be 
adds that " the workmen on the barracks" had not completed 
their woi'k, and thus delayed the arrival of the regiment. Prob- 
ably the work consisted of enlargement or rebuilding of the 
accommodation, so as to receive a whole regiment inside the fort. 

Fn .\ugust, 1770, tlu' powder magazine in the fort was torn 
down and the woodwork used in constructiug additional defenses 
at I'ort 'J'ryou. 

75 



Relics of the Revolution 



August 25, 1779, the 57th English Musketeers Kegiment left 
the barracks to go to New York and their place was taken by two 
companies of the Prinz Carl Regiment. The 57th, in !March, 
17S1, returned there and were accompanied by the '' Composi- 
tion "' battalion of returned prisoners of Knyphausen's and 
Lossberg's regiments and some men of the Trumbach or von Bose. 

In July, 1781, von KrafFt himself, with his company of the 
von Donop Regiment, was ordered into the Fort, and was 
quartered " in tents on the right side," because an attack by the 
Rebels was expected. He tells ns that " it was an execrable life 
there in the fort." 

In August, 1781, von Kraft't says: 

" In the tents in the Fort, we, the two named companies, had 
much to put up with ; we were almost burnt np by the sun and 
almost swimming in the rain." 

Among the few objects found in the past within the Fort, and 
secured from those who jiavc scattered them, were a large key, 
a ramrod, and a pair of old scissors. 

The exterior part of the Fort consisted of earthworks, extending 
completely around the central fortification or citadel. AVithin 
this area the excavatif)n for Fort Washiiigtun Avenue lirought to 
sight a number of objects of military character. Several speci- 
mens of heavy missiles were diseovercHl. and a doul)le head bar- 
shot about sixteen pounds in weight. That the garrison froni time 
to time cani])ed out lieyond the ramparts on the glacis and along 
the breastworks extending south of the fort, is evident from tire- 
places disco\ered in various places as far south as 178th Street. 

On the northeast corner of 181st Street and Fort Washingion 
Avenue, just beyond the line of earthworks, but on the glacis, 
there was found a hunnm skeleton, only part of which was pre- 
served. The skull was for some time in the possession of William 
Herlihy, a local contractor and saloon keeper, from whom the 
writer secured a fragmeiitarv portion, together with a number 



Fort Washington or Fort Knyphausen 



of shot and other objects found near the same place. These 
inchided a pike or " Spontoon " bhide of crude form and some 
British coins. The sewering of Fort Washington Avenue, just 
south of 181st Street, at a later date disturbed a number of human 
remains, which the contractor Green stated were at least forty- 
five in number. The location was traditionally that of the 
" Garrison biiryiug ground," and of the remains, one skull was 
secured. Inspector Gortright stated that some of these or similaT 
remains had previously been disturbed at the time of the con- 
struction of the Avenue itself, and that he had secured a large 
brass button from one burial and also a bullet taken out of the 
skull of another. 

In 1010, an excavation was made on the north side of ISlst 
Street for the construction of the Kefonned (Dutch) Church, 
which cut deeply into the hillside, extending into the line of the 
breastworks. A search along the cut disclosed a few indications of 
military character, a gun-Hint, a bullet or so, and then led to a 
fire pit at the northwest corner of the Church in which were 
found buttons of the 38th Foot, and one of a private soldier of 
the 82nd Scotch Regiment. This was one of the corps raised by 
the special etforts of the Scottish nobility for service in America, 
and was known as the Duke of Hamilton's regiment. It is inter- 
esting to note that no more than a single company was in New 
York at any time. Von Krafft records, March 6, 1780, that the 
82nd with other corps went from New York to Long Island, and 
he again refers to the presence of the 82nd on the heights in 
Ai-.g-ust, 1783. 

In May, 1913, an exploration was undertaken of the interior 
space in the outer earthworks of Fort Washington, as it had been 
noted that trees which once lined the old Bennett lane, between 
181st Street and Fort Washington Avenue, were being cut down 
and, therefore, grading operations for the opening of Magaw 
Street might soon be anticipated. 



77 



Relics of the Revolution 



It was I'ouud that the surface had been disturbed in several 
places, the turf being' removed, oifering an opportunity of exam- 
iniiig the soil which had never before been availalile. The steel 
sounding rod was used freely, and at a iwint about forty feet east 
of Fort Washington Avenue and abo\it forty feet north of the 
l^ennett boundary fence, a place was struck which gave an even 
resistance t<> ])ciictratiiiii. indicating a level >iirface about a foot 
and a half to two feet below th(> sods. ,\ small liolc was dug autl 
disclosed sonic ohl red liricks lying tlat aiul close tngether at this 
dc]iih. which at once indicated the existence of a thmr. and some 
acti\c work sckhi uncovered :i brick-laid space extending west and 
north, doored evenl\ with old-style red and bhuj iiricks, mostly in 
halves, or " bats," a fair indication of a revolutionary hut, but of 
superior character. 

The location was adniirahly suited for an officer's quarters' as 
it was sheltered by the ranij)arts of the foi'titication on level ground 
within the outer breastwoi'k. It lay about in line with the south 
front of the fort, and overlooked a wide ex]ianse of landscape, 
embracing Fort (Jeorge, Fort ^'undier Eight, and a broad sweep 
o\-er Westchester County, miles beyond the present City line. 

()iily :i short distance along this tloor, old ironwork was found 
consisting ot barrel lioups, old hinges, spikes, and a narrow shovel, 
iiroken pipes, one of unmistakably Colonial style, and some scraps 
of china were also discovered, and the back of a button, similar 
in nuinufacturc to otficers' buttons of the Revolutionary period. 
Following the brick floor, if was foiuid to extend about nine or 
ten feet across: and after reaching its westerlv limit, it was con- 
cluded that, if a fireplace existed, it would be to the north, and 
efforts in that direction were soon rewarded by finding large stones 
which formed a well-nnidc tirejilace, the hearth being carefully 
laid in half-bri<-ks. with a rather limited amount of ashes on the 
si.rface, but with the customary presence of nails and spikes and 
charcoal. On the west side of the little space two large bar-shot 
were uncovered, which lay at right angles to each other, one in 

78 



Fort Washington or Fort Knvphausen 

its original position, as a fire dog, ou the hearth, the other lying 
outside. Tlie bricks of the liearth were grooved across, where the 
edges of the shot had worn them. This gave a clear decision as 
to the character of the place, and some good photographs were 
secured. The sliot weighed fully fifty pounds apiece, each heing 
ni(ir<' tlian two feet in length. Hume hoy visitors volunteered to 
procure jjaper and string, ;ind at the sanu> time simie much-needed 




Firo|)l.'ice and Itrick h'ldoi- of Olliccrs" Hut Refonstructoil .it \Vasliiii.sti>irs 

licadquarters 



ginger ale and, with their help, the shot were " packed "' over to 
the Broadway street-car line and taken to the Headquarters House. 
The discovery opened up new possibilities as regards further 
finds in the immediate vicinity of the Fort, and indicated that the 
officers of the garrison had found the interior of the fortifications 
itself too confined for comfort, as indeed is evident from von 
Kraft't's remarks. The following Sunday the work of clearing out 
the hut site was continued, with the aid of several friends, Leslie 

79 



Relics of the Revolution 



Spier, Walter Xeumuller, and John Ward Dunsmore, the his- 
torical artist ; the latter taking photographs of the cleared space. 
Little more was found on the floor save an iron gi-ape shot, a 
bullet, and part of a brass brooch or pin. 

While the work was in active progress, a couple of moving 
picture photographers appeared and asked to be permitted to cap- 
ture a scene, to be used in a series of historical pictures, arranged 
liv the City Historv Club, which was designed to include scenes 
from the historical sites on Washington Heights. The party was, 
therefore, " phiced "' and the various processes put iu motion of 
digging, sounding, cleaning the Hoor and sifting the debris, with 
a boy engaged in pouring oiit sarsaparilla in a cup, and a baby 
and its parents as eye-witnesses, and also the inevitable dog, which 
appears on all such occasions. 

The floor of the hut was carefully cleaned and measured, and 
was found to cover a space in front of the fireplace twelve feet 
in width and extending back nine feet to the south. The south- 
west corner, for a space of about six feet by four feet, was unpaved, 
of beaten sand. This portion was probably under a bed or table. 
On the east side was a depressed space which was probahly the 
entrance, and the bricks had become wet and sunken at this point. 
Close by this doorway were scraps of window glass, and two 
wrought iron hinges, such as would be suited to window frames 
or screens. These were near an old type of shovel, which lay 
nearer the fireplace. On the eastern part of the floor was a large 
camp axe-head, liroken at the back, having been used probably as 
a maul. One of the ubiquitous iron grape shot was found near 
liy, and close to the fii'eplace lay a small brass object, which, on 
closer examination, looked like the top of a wooden snuff-box, 
brass-mounted, with some of the wood adhering. A few scraps 
of a cream-ware tea-cup and of a blue-edged plate lay on the floor, 
and \ario\is fragments of clay pipes, of which one bore a trade 
mark, " .T. W." iu a cartouche design. 

The bricks forming the floor were of varying sizes and shapes, 
mostly in halves, but quite a munber were whole, as were those 



80 



Fort Washington or Fort Kn^phausen 



lying loose on the lloor, which had evidently fallen into the tire- 
place from the chimney. Some of the bricks were glazed by the 
action of tire, and all were of Colonial projDortions. The hearth 
measured oO inches wide by 20 inches deep, and was constructed 
outside the hnt Hoor. The two bai--shot were found to be not 
quite the same size. 

It may be concluded that the upper part of the hut was of 
wood, and was probably burnt down after its fnvnishiniis had been 
removed, and only the cumbersome shot and axe and l)rc)k('n shovel 
and debris were left to lend character to its discovery. 

The hut haviaig developed sncli an interesting character, the pos- 
sibilities of its immediate surroundings were earnestly discussed. 
It was possible that it was one of a series and if so, others might 
be located at even distances on the same level or grade. The 
gToimd was hard and the work of inserting the steel '" sounder " 
proved laliorions. 

i\, week later the conditions became more favorable, for very 
heavy rains had softened the soil, and the rod was vigorously and 
systematically plied, in the hope of striking some nearby place 
where the debris of the occupants might liave been dumped. Such 
a procedure seemed most probable, and it was tliought to be most 
likely to be fonnd on the slope lielow the hut, and probably near 
the point which appeared to have been its entrance. General 
interest among the workers was e.xcited when at a point about 
2." feet from the hut doorway, the steel rod passed through shells 
at a depth of about two and a half feet below the sod. Oyster 
shells in such a position are readily discerned l>v piercing them 
with the " sounder,'' and their presence at such a depth indicated 
the situation of other rubbish in a '' dump." Such it proved to be 
on removing the soil, exjjosing a mass of debris lying at a depth 
of about three feet. 

The '■ sifter " was brought into play, and soon caught a plenti 
ful supply of small military objects. These were mixed with many' 
meat bones, shells, charcoal and ash, bullets, ironwork, hoops and 
broken pottery. Pewter buttons found were mostly of the small 

81 



Relics of the Revolution 



size used on gaiters, hut hy-aud-by a 57th Regiment Imttoii showed 
up and gave the hrst detinite information as to the military his- 
tory of the place. 

A button of the -'iSth, ui' unusual design, soon rewarded the 
sifters, and two bone buttons, used on underwear, were followed 
by several cuff-links, one of which bore a design of a female hgure 
bending over an anchor. These excited much interest in the group 
of explorers and numerous visitors, and were followed by three 
fine silver buckles in almost perfect condition, save that their 
steel hiuge-jjins are rusted away. They appear to be such as were 
used on the high stocks and collars of that period. The broken 
china included part of a handpainted Chinese porcelain (ii]i, ami 
some English cream ware, forming part of a bowl and saucer, also 




9^'^ 



Officers' Lmi' CiitTrjiiks 




;i hand-painted English Delft saucer. The glass included jtart 
of a drinking tumhler decorated with :in engraved design, probably 
Stiegel glass, from Pennsylvania, and parts of a large square 
black schnapps flask. Tlie superior character of these objects indi- 
cated their possession by officers. 

'i'here were many bullets of several sizes, a buckshot, and some 
musket flints, all lending a military character to the rest of the 
material. Of course, there were barrel hoops and nails, and 
another much abused axe liead. A broken knife and pipe bowls 
were mixed with oyster shells and (luantities of scraps of lione. 

When this place was exhausted, the soil in the neighborhood was 
tested with the steel rod, and a sort of rubbish pit was fi>und near 
the " dump,"" in which was abundant charcoal, ash, and signs of 



82 



Fort Washington or Fort Knyphausen 



lire. Only ii bullet and a musket tliut gave character to the place, 
but it was proliably a pit iu which some material had been buried. 

Ou the north side of the hut, on Decoration Uay, another hut 
site was found of much humbler character, the tloor being of l>eaten 
sand, and the area only about eight feet square. Although the 
customai'y pot-hook lay ou the floor, there was no distinct fire- 
place, and it was concluded that it may have been removed in 
some old tiiue regrading. There were signs of a driveway of 
broken stones, below the soil at the north end of the hut site. 
'I'liis was the drive that at one time led to the Morewood house, 
which was built about si.xty years ago within the ramparts of the 
Fort. One of the ladies of that family informed the writer some 
yeai's ago, that when the grounds were laid out around the house, 
quantities of shot and irdu work were found and carted away to 
the foundrx. The cellar walls of this house still remain, liut the 
structure was razed about the year 1S97. This smaller hut is 
taken to have been some sort of annex to the officers' quarters, 
probably a cooking room, or hut for the orderlies. 

The work on Decoration Day was aided by the Ivev. Livingston 
Ii. Sch\iyler, of the ( ity ( oUege, who dotted his clerical coat and 
took an a<-tive share in the hard shovelling, that showed him to be 
a man of brawn as well as brain. 

The final search of the surrounding soil, contiguous to the hut, 
rewarded the explorers A\'ith several interesting additions to the 
store of relies. These included a button of the 80th lioyal Edin- 
liurgli Volunteers, and also one of the Cheshire Regiment or 22nd 
FcHit. A frail cord of silver thread was found, which may have 
supported some keepsake around a soldier's neck. 

All these evidences and their situation lead to the conclusion 
that this luit was occupied by officers of rank, whose orderlies were 
provided from various regiments, of which the 57tli was in garri- 
son duty in .\uuiist, 1779, and again in 1781, and the ."8th was 
in service here in 1782. 

It seemed to be well worth while to preserve the old bricks form- 
ing the floor of the officers' hut, and so permission for their removal 

83 



Relics of the Revolution 



was sought of Mr. Bennett's representatives, and kindly accorded. 
The Park Department loaned a wagon, and M^itli the aid of two 
park lalwrers, we removed the okl bricks from tlie tioor and trans- 
ferred them to Washington's Headquarters. Later the removal 
of the fireplace was effected, and after measuring and marking, 
it was completely re-erected within the grounds of the Mansion. 

The bar-shot are secured on the hearth l)y steel straps and the 
iithcr olijects are placed in the guard room, togetlici- with photo- 
graphs of the scene. 

'^riie discovery added another interesting item to the Kevolution- 
ary history of tlie Heights and has contributed to our knowledge of 
tlie life and haliits of the officers of that period. 



84 



IX 

BARRACKS OF THE FORT WASHINGTON GARRISON 

The ground upon which, as Me now know, the garrison of the 
central fortification of the Kovolution on upper Manhattan Jshiud 
was camped and housed, has been at all times available only to a 
limited extent for cultivation, by reason of its steepness, and in 
part by its inaccessible character, ilost of its area was probably 
pasture and woodland long before, and has so remained since the 
Kevolution. For the same reason, the operations of the modern 
1 milder have been diverted, and the opening of streets has been 
deferred, so that oidy in recent years has any disturbance been 
made of the natural features of the locality. 

The old highway or King's Bridge Road, which ran irregularly 
the length of Washington Heights, reached at Fort Washington 
its highest level, and passing the crest of the hill, commenced its 
descent to the Tnwood Valley. Less than a hundred feet north 
of what is now 181st Street, the well-known Blue Bell Tavern 
stood on the westerly margin of the high road, sheltered at the 
rear by an abrupt hillock, behind which ran a little brook known 
as " the run " which bounded downwards through the vale l)etween 
the highway and the " Long Hill " or ilount Washington. 

The hollow between the hillside which extends up towards Fort 
Washington, and the Post Road, which is now Broadway, is crossed 
near 184th Street line by some great rocks which made a part of 
the defenses or " glacis " of Fort Washington on its easterly side, 
and these rocks were known to the old residents of the vicinity as 
" The Death Gap." At the foot of the largest mass of rock, prior 
to the construction of Bennett Avemie, there bubbled out a little 
spring of clear water, which tradition had connected with the 
Revolution under the name of the " Hessian Spring." Its waters 
joined those of a little brook which had its source in higher springs 
on lands once cleared by the aborigines and known to the early 

85 



Relics of the Revolution 



settlers as "' The ludiau Field," which later became the farm of 
Hendrick van Oblienis, and at the time of the Revolution, was in 
the ownership of Blazius Moore, the tobacco mercliant of Broad- 
way at Fulton Street. Xorth of his boundary, which ran near 
the centre lino of 181st Street, the land west of Broadway was 
occupied at the time of the Revolution by a picturesque local char- 
acter of the name of John Bernard Bauer, a German preacher 
kno\ra as " 15ariioy Bowers," whose descendants tell of their occu- 
pation of the (tld liuildini;-, once the P>lue Bell Tavei'u, as their 
home, and of the death of their aucesttir as a result of injuries 
sustained in lifting guns within Fort Washington. 

All the physical features surrounding this charming vale indi- 
cated a natural and most desirable site for a camp. The little 
stream passing tlirough tlie hollow, tlie bubbling spring at the 
foot of the great rocks, the shelter of the steep hill on the west, 
the vicinity of the Tavern, and its easy access from the King's 
Highway togetlier with its ]>roximity to the Fort and the protec- 
tion of its gun tire sweeping overhead, all fonned more or less 
desiralde features for the lodgiuent of the soldiery compri-^iiig the 
garrison of that important military work. 

'i'he ground itself was in past time, and is still to some extent, 
terraced, particularly just northeast of the boundary of the Ben- 
nett property, or 182nd Street, and here and there a few scrubby 
cedar trees still cling to the out-cropping rocks, descendants of 
those which in early Colonial times sheltered the Huguenots of 
Xew Rochelle on their dusty tramp on Sabbath days to the Church 
du Sainte Esprit on Pine Street. 

Part of the slope of the hillside, immediately east of the 
lane which led to the Bennett residence, was occupied until quite 
recently by a little cottage, within the garden of which there were 
turned up liy the spade from time to time a number of objects 
connected with military life, such as lirass buttons, a cannon ball 
or two, and a British bronze coin of the reigii of William and 
Mary, all of which were at one time in the possession of the 
Conklin or Leavcraft family. 



86 



Barracks of the Fort Washington Garrison 

At the intersection of 181st Street with Broadway, other objects 
were discovered from time to time such as a small irou shot, a 
large old key, perhaps that of the old Inn, and the point of a 
sword scalihard. 

Such objects are, however, bv no means unusual on Washinjr- 
ton Heights, a locality in which it is natural to expect evidences of 
Colonial or military life to come to light from time to time, and 
so when ]\lr. W. L. Calver found, on the north side of 181st Street, 
about fifty feet east of Broadway, a pewter button bearing- the 
number of the 38th British Regiment, and when another button 
of the same corps was found at a little later date in the Bennett 
Lane, leading from ISlst Street to Fort Washing-ton Avemie, 
although these objects clearly indicated the presence of soldiery 
around the vicinity, they gave no special indication of the par- 
ticular spot upon which the barracks of the military corps had 
been situated. 

The historical references to the vicinity, some of whicli have 
been previously descrilmd, indicated that somewhere in this -vicin- 
ity there had been a camp of the American troops, prior to and at 
the time of the capture of Fort Washington. The Hessian account 
of the capture of the Fort refers to barracks into which the Amer- 
ican officers of the captured garrison led their captors and enter- 
tained them with wine and cake. 

Among Washington's military orders were several references 
to a camp market to be established on the glacis of the Fort 
which, by reason of the topography, was doubtless in the imme- 
diate neighborhood of the locality here described. 

An interesting reference to the American occupation of this 
site is contained in a letter -written in October, 1776, by an officer 
in the patriotic army. The wi'iter. Dr. Eleazur Woodruff, says 
that he with others, " is encamped on the east side of Mount Wash- 
ington " and he writes in enthusiastic terms of the comfort of his 
quarters. He was probably surgeon to one of the American corps. 
He adds " we would not change places with any regiment in the 



87 



Relics of ihc Revolution 



The construction of Bennett A.venue, in September, 1906, cut 
deeply into the grassy hill-side, and exposed the rocky surfaces, 
disturbing quantities of bricks, broken glass and meat bones, at a 
point nearly opposite tlie line of 183rd Street. The haste with 
which this work was done precluded any close examination of the 
disclosures, but the presence of some sort of Iniilding with tire- 
places of a substantial rharactcr wa> established by the character 
and quantity of the debris. 

The picture.sqne Hessian spring lay, unfortunately, in the very 
line of the future avenue, and preparations were made to drain 
the water off into sewer ])ipes, prior to filling it into a height of 
about fifteen feet. The old local tradition of fighting around the 
" Death Gap," received ;in intoi'esting confirmation when the con- 
tractor's men found at the base of the rocks, inbedded deep in the 
ground, some solid shot and an unexploded shell, one of which bore 
the lu'oad arrow mark of the liritish Army Stores. These relics 
were taken away by rontracfors and probably lost. The tradition 
was thus contirmed. and later sonic liritish pennies bearing dates 
of 1 T'jS and of ITTH were found liy the writer, and gave further 
indication of the occupation of the locality. These scattci'cd evi- 
dences led to an effort to decide the exact position of the huts or 
barracks which hiid e\-idently existed somewhere at this point. 
A copy of the British military beadqiiartei-s ma]i of 17>>2. which 
some years ago was discovered to be in existence in London, was 
obtained, and a clo.se examination of tliat portion of the nntp 
wliich included Fori \\':i-ibington and its vicinity showed, at a 
)ioint b(>twccn the Fort and the liigbroad, indications of b\iildings 
of a somewhat extensive character, as c<impared with other anil 
smaller dwellings and farndiouses along the line of the old I'ost 
Road. This part of the map was enlarged on tracing paper to a 
scale of one hundred feet to one inch, including the buildings 
referred to. and was then laid over another map of that part of 
the City and adjusted by the original known location of the mile- 
stones on the old Kinti's liridsje Road, which has been widened 



Barracks of the Fort Washington Garrison 

only iu recent years into the present Broadway. It became appar- 
ent that the long bnildings marked upon the old map must have 
stood on the line of Bennett Avenue, at or very near the inter- 
section of 182nd Street, and therefore that the debris disturbed in 
cutting the hillside for the construction of tlic Avenue was in all 
prol)a1)ility part of such buildings. 




Excavating Military llclirs uii the Jjairacks Site, Uessian Hut Camp 



With this infornuition as a gaiidc, a careful search was made, by 
raking and digging along the edges of the cut which had been 
made into the hillsides. The search had almost been given up, 
when a fortunate scratch by the hoe, a little deeper than before, 
brought forth a piece of iron chain with a handle or crossbar which 
M'as attached to a square socket of iron, of similar shape to one 
which had been found some years before in an excavation near 

89 



Relics of the Revolution 



Dyckiniin Strcef and is in tlie collection of the late Mr. C. C. 
Simpson. This indicated the probable existence of other objects 
of niilitai'v character. 

-■■ With li('ii\if'r tools a space was cleared, and only a foot helow 
the oriiiinal level of the tiirt', t;-i-ound was found whicli bore evi- 
dence of having been beaten oi- trodden in layers, indicating suc- 
cessive periods or seasons of nsage. These layers extended along 
a line, which, after months of intermittent work in exploration, 
was found to extend for abont three hundred feet north and south 
along the present east sidewalk of liennett Avenue. 

In and below this hard-packed matei-ial and especially on its 
easterly side lay numerous evidences of military occupation, more 
or less broken, indicating the use of the space as a pathway or 
perhaps the trodden space in front of the line of barrack build- 
ings. East of the path imicli dt'l>i-is was found scattered in the 
soft sandy soil uf the sloping liank which, when excavated and 
])nt tiirough the analysis of the sieve, afforded unmistakable evi- 
dences of the military occupation of the place by a nimdier of the 
Ijritish regiments engaged in the War of the Revolution. 

Among the first military l)nttons to be found which lay in close 
proximity to each other, were a number of those of the 74tb or 
Argyle Highland Tiogiment."' These were followed by the familiar 
buttons of the TiTth Regiment of Foot, and later, by an interesting 
ImtfMii of the 3d (Guards, Scotch.! 

Among these was found a Imttun of the 2sth Foot Regiment, 
of wiiicli a small specimen had previously been found at Fort 



* Two coiiipaiiios of the ArK.ylo lli;;lil;iiuk'rs came to Xpw York. Tlic 74th 
(■mharkrd at riri^enock in Aug. 177S, for Halifax, where they were jrarrisoned. 
Tlie .SOth and S2nd were under the coininand of Briir. Gen. Fr'amis McLean. Tn 
the sprint; of 1770, the (Jrenadier Co. eonunanded Iiy Capt. Ludoviek, and the 
Lipht Co.. commanded by Capt. Campbell of Balnabie. Avere sent to New York. 

t 'I'he Thinl GiiMnl- was one of throe Hattaliou-, consisting of the First, 
Coldstream, and Third or Scots Guards, all under the command of Colonel 
Edward Mathew of the Ccddstreani. These battalions took part in a number 
of engagements, including the assault on Fort Washington in 1776. The 
Third Guards are not to be confused with the Third Foot Regiment or The 

90 



Barracks of the Fori Washington Garrison 

George.* In close association with these buttons were found 
various kinds of missiles, such as musket bullets and pistol bullets, 
buck-shot and iron grape-shot. A penny of George II. of the year 
1744, lay alongside a broken sword-blade, and all around the space 
was the debris of the camp-fire and soup-kettle — the pot-hooks, 
burnt stones and charcoal, broken bottles and china, meat bones, 
oyster and clam shells. 

The fascination of these discoveries prompted the explorers to 
prolong their work into the winter season, and as late as the middle 
of December, a plain gold button with ivory back, apparently that 
of an officer, was found close to a pewter luitton of the Seventy- 
Sixth Highland Regiment. f AVith these came to light numerous 
clay pipe bowls, some bearing the mark " W. G.'" — a familiar 
sign of the presence of soldiery of that period, many black gun- 
flints, numerous Imllets, buck-shot, Uvo pistol ramrod guides of 
brass, close tn the latter of which was found a penny bearing 
the familiar superscription and visage of George III. 

Some interesting grou))s of ol)jects were found, which afforded 
some iiMlicatinn tliaf the l)ri)ken or lost objects had been cast out 
from the doors or windows of the buildings. In such groups there 
was much broken chinaware, some of excellent (luality and inter- 
esting design. One curious object of this kind was a legless Dres- 
den china lamb. possil)ly tlie toy of some child of the camp. 
Quantities of broken clay pipes, both bowls and stems, were found 
in such places, and these proved of interest, some bearing trade- 
marks previously unknown, even to that veteran collector. !Mr. 
Galver. One stem was foimd, bearing the full mime and address 
of a manufacturer " W. Htitchinson. Liverjwol," in close prox- 
imity to a button of the .".3d Regiment. Some of the pipes were 



* The Twontv-Kiglitli Ko^iiiient was coininaiulcj Iiy Colimel Kilo and i1 
took a prominent part in the Battle of White Plains. The buttons of the 
regiment have heeii found in several plates on Washington Heights. 

r The "tltli or MiDimaldV Highlander^ was a corps «hiih was raided in 
Scotland in 177S hy the Laird oif ^MiPonald especially for service in the War 
for Independence. The Kegiment was at this ]ilare. according to von Krafft. 
in October, 1789. 

91 



Relics of the Revolution 



so complete as to be of particular value in comparison of shapes 
and sizes. 

Tn some places tlie Imttons of various coi^ps lay quite close 
toyotlicr, as if old uniforms liad liopu buried or thrown away in 
one place, witli a numlicr of buttons upon them, and on one pleas- 
ant and particularly fnitunate Sunday afternoon, no less than 
twenty -five numbered buttons were fomid, the majority being those 
of the 76th ;^^cT)onald Highlanders, with others of the 33d Font." 

Among the unnumbered buttons were some of similar patterns 
to others which have lieen found on sites in which the presence of 
the Hessian troops was known, thus confirming the presumption 
of the locality including the site of the Hut Camp of the von 
Donop and other Hessian corps. That it had also been occupied 
by American troops was indicated by one of the ornamental pewter 
luittons, which was identical with specimens w'hich have been 
discovered on the site of the American quarters known as the 
Hempstead Huts, situated near the Continental Village in the 
Highlands of the Hudson. 

Tn June, 1909, the work of trenching was extended along the 
easterly side of the line of Bennett Avenue southwards towards 
181st Street, and at a depth of about one and one-half feet below 
the surface, among the military debris, a fine bronze belt-plate of 
the 7th Regiment, or Royal Fusilicrsf was found lying face down, 
the inscription being thus perfectly preserved. The face is 
engraved with a miuiogram " R. F."' in clalx)rate script. 

Tn 1010. the results of the work along the edge of the street 
grading indicated that the limit of the deposits of debris had lieen 
reached. The extent of this line of material had lieen about three 
hundred feet, running north and south from a point between 181st 
and 182nd Streets to a point l>etweeTi 183rd Street and 184th 



~ The Thii-iy-Tliiiil Kuot Ucfriniciit was rcuMinanded liy Earl C'nriiwallis. 
The ref;iment had a reputatifiii for its smart appearaiue. the Grenadiers being 
known as " Ara<arfini"s'' on a<C(>nnt of their jiarticiilarly dapper appearanee. 

T Tlie Koyal Fusiliers, as tlie Seventli RejrinuMit was known, was cnm- 
manded liy Colonel Beartie. It was most nnfortunate durin? the Kevoliition, 
losini; part of its niiniher and its i-olors at Chamlile. and liavinj; a similar 
experience at Cowpeng and it also lost many men by disease during the War. 

92 



Barraclis of the Fort Washington Garrison 

Street, which may therefore be assumed to have been about the 
space along which the barrack buildings once extended. 

Attention was then naturally directed to the vicinity, and the 
surface of the rocks around the '" Death (Jap "' was explored. On 
the summit just to the east of the avenue were found the remains 
of some wooden building, which had evidently been destroyed by 
tire, as much burnt debris lay over the surface including nails, 
bricks and stones, broken bottles, oyster shells and meat bones, all 
more or less exhibiting the eli'ects of tire. A British half-penny 
of 177i, a fine ornamental brass button, and a small Spanish silver 
coin* indicated the presence of soldiery. The Hessians were 
paid in this class of coinage for their unwilling service. 

The position on the summit of this rock commands a hne view of 
the valley to Spuyten Duyvil, and would most likely have been 
occupied by some sort of watch house. 

Interesting as were all these objects, it was still evident that so 
large a body of soldiery, as to the character and extent of which 
the numbered buttons had now given positive assurance, could 
not have disposed of all their waste materials by the limited 
amount of such debris as had already been discovered. The results 
so far had indicated the presence of nineteen British regiments, 
and had atibrded strong indications of American and Hessian 
occupation. 

Attention was directed to the sloping ground extending from 
the site of the barracks, eastward of Bennett Avenue, to the bed 
of the one time brook which used to flow down across the line ot 
ISlst Street, west of Broadway to the Harlem River. It had 
by this time become dry, as a result of the diversion of the water 
into the sewer in 181st Street. The vacant property of the Beek- 
man family includes about three hundred feet of the line of the 
brook, most of which had been a receptacle for all kinds of rnbbisli 
from the rear of the buildings along Broadway for years past, 
probably from the old Blue Bell tavern, among others. The semi- 



" The Spanisli silvoi- tiiinnge, being lighter than tliat of the British, became 
the main silver in circulation at the period. 

93 



Relics of the Revolution 



dried lied (if the lirook was luiw covered witli :i dense growth of 
rank weeds. It was a siiliject of discussion as to whether any hap- 
luizard excavation ujkiu tliis iiiiproniising looking site would 
result in more than sevei-e labor in heavy wet soil. iJut it cer- 
tainly appeared to he mure than proiialilc tliat tiie lai'ger and 
heavier camp dehris. under the nld unsanitary methods, had either 
lieen pitclied iutu tlie brook, or wouhl liave lieen under proper 
military metliuds. disposed of liy burial in pits, and that the 
gnmnd was naturally favurablc I'nr sin-li a purpnsi'. lint the 
absence of any indicatiims made it difficult to decide where to 
make an attempt to ]iierc(> the weedy covering that might possibly 
lie ciincealing stich interesting possibilities. The steel sounding 
rod had not at that time become an aid in sui-h work, oi- it wo\ild 
have demonstrated the facts. 

On a blazing hot Sunday afterniMin in August, I'JKI, the prob- 
abilities or possibilities of the unpromising looking site were dis- 
cussed. The thick growth of weeds waist hiiih ort'ered a dis- 
couraging appearance to active operations, but a stai't was made 
haphazard in the middle of the swainj)v grottnd, and a hole sunk 
through the weeds and turf. Tin' heat was great, and the labor 
was severe, but when the ground was taken out to a depth of a 
couple iif feet, the spade enteied a layer of debris of unmistakably 
old character lying on the wet black clay which had once formed 
the bottom of the brook. It took no more than a sight of the tirst 
bullet to indicate its military character, and within a space about 
six feet square many military objects were found such as bullets, 
three gun-llints, a brass knee-buckle, an iron horseshoe, a camp 
broad axe the cutting edge of which is nearly eight inches wide, 
a sapper's pick, and part of an oval iron canteen of Hessian pat- 
tern. With these were found, without sifting, several pewter but- 
tons, greatly decayed, and a gold-plated officer's button, which 
upon examination proved to be of great interest. So frail was 
this object that a mere film of the metal was left on the face, 
and the bone back was a rotted paste. Exi)ert care proved suc- 
cessful in drvino- and restoring it, and it was found to be of 



94 



Barracks of the Fort Washington Garrison 

pattern identical with one shown in the work "" Le Houton de 
i'iVrmee Fraucaise," bv C'apitaiiie Bottet, which was that nsed by 
officers of the French AiTny as early as 1775. 

These finds confirmed the disposal by the occupants of the bar- 
racks of waste material alonii the line of the brook, and from that 
time on, we stcadilv dni;' and tronclicd in the moist material which 






London Soals Soiiirinp PaoUapes of ICiiglisli and l-'rom li (lutli and l.inon 



hud at one time formed the marshy boi'ders of the brook, north- 
wards towards the boundary of the Beekman jiroperty, and parallel 
with the llarrack site. 

The ne.xt definite military object w-as a pewter button of the 
14th Foot liegiment, which corps, after service in Virginia, took 
part in the engagements around New York in 177G, but returned 
to England in the year 1777, thus showing the occupation of this 
place in the early part of the war. The button was of particular 

95 



Relics of the Revolution 



interest, as it has a luilled bijrder, the tiist of this pattern so far 
discovered. Near tliis and other buttons were found fiat f)ieces of 
lead. Iwut so as to form a hold for gun-tiints in the locks of mus- 
kets, and also a pencil of soft lead al)Out two and one-half inches 
long, one of a number which eventually decided the character of 
these objects as the lead jioncils of tlic Army, a number of which 
have since been found. 

riie layer of debris ;ind ashes d('vel(i])('d considerably in area 
as we worked tdwards the nurtli in the fall nf lit 10, ^md .Mr. 
Jeremiah Hunter. ( '. Iv. of the Department of Finance, aided in 
the heavy work of liftinn' and sifting all the material as it was 
brought up from the bottom of the trench, which was then about 
one and one-half yards wide and some thiee feet deep. 

In one afternoon's work as many as sixteen bullets and an 
equal number of gnm-flints, were taken out, some being found per- 
fect and unused. Among other objects, a number of scraps oi' 
thin sheet lead were found, which had been cut into various shapes 
by knife or scissors. From their quantity and a})pearancc they 
are assumed to have l)een used for padding the lapels of uniforms, 
or to have been sewn into the lower edges of coats and were proi)- 
ably in the discarded garments thrown into " the dump." Quan- 
tities of fragments of rum bottles, china, pottery and porcelain, 
medicine bottles and wine glas.ses were found, and numerous forged 
nails and iron spikes up to eight inches in length with here and 
there the butt end of a pike staff. With these, we began to find 
other military l))ittons, several of which proved to be those of the 
-t.'ith Foot IJegimcnt, a ciir])s wliicli was actively engaged in most 
of the events of the Kcvolutiun, up to the battle of Germantown, 
but which lost so many men by sickness and battle, that it was 
returned in ITTS, l)arely one hundred strong, to England. So that 
these buttons wci'c |ii(ib:iliiy thrnwii nr lost in this jilace at that 
date. 

The presence of Scotch soldiers was indicated i>y a heart- 
shaped blue glass jewel, evidently from the clasp used by some 
Scotsman to secure his shawl at the shoulder. 

9C 



Barracks of the Fort Washington Garrison 

We found an iron socket 1 V4 inches in diameter by o inches long, 
not pointed, but rounded, which may have been the butt end of a 
regimental color-statf. 

Deepening the trench towards the course of the brool;, we struck 
a cannon ball buried below the layer of debris. It was thickly 
cased in rusted clay, but it was found to weigh five and a half 
pounds, and was probably originally of a weight of six pounds and 
thus shows u loss in weight of nine per cent, in one hundred and 
thirty years of underground residence. \'erv near to this were 
bullets and gun-flints, broken flies and j^art of a saw. Close to 
these we found a most interesting button of the Continental Amer- 
ican artillery, which lay close to the cannon ball and the tools. 
The design of the button is similar to another which was found 
on Constitution Island, and to others found at the American 
camp known as Hempstead Huts, in Putnam County, New York. 

A small glass jewel was found, possibly from a set of cuff 
links, which was cut in intaglio with a rose, and hard by was a 
button of the Sixth Regiment,'^ this having a pewter loop, an 
unusual feature in a British military button. Contiguous to this 
iiuttim were other Britisli Ijuttons, such as those of the -ith, 10th, 
;>Sth, 57tli and S2d Ileginionts. .V curious And close to tliese 
objects was a hair pin which lay with a large plain silver button 
among many fragments of porcelain and scratched and salt-glazed 
earthenware. Perhaps the sex of the cook that broke the ware and 
wore the button is indicated l)y the hair pin. 

Where the layer of debris ended it was found that it had cov- 
ered so far an area of about forty feet by ten feet wide. 

Still working downstream and only six feet further on, a 
larger layer was encountered but at a greater depth from the sur- 
face. Here was found a vein of material having the appearance 
of burnt straw, which proved to be rich in a number of objects 
connected witli the use of horses, such as horse-shoes, harness 



'' Tlie Sixtli Kcgiiiieiit of fimt was ooiiimandeil liy Colonel fjisliorne, ami was 
in America only until 1777. The presence of this button near American relics 
indicates the deposit of both very soon after the surrender of Fort 
Washington. 

97 



Relics of the Revolution 



buckles, shoe buckles, spurs, the bale of a pail, and a complete 
snaffle bit. 

By this time our occupation had attracted tlic curiosity and 
attention of an increasing- nunil>cr of the public on ISlst Street, 
from the elevaled jjortion of which imr work was in full view, and 
we experienced considerable interruption from boys swarming 
into the excavation and interfering with the operation of digging 
and sifting. In our absence during the week, some of these boys 
would attempt simibir excavation, tearing down the material with- 
out any knowledge or system, and then Ixiasting of extravagant 
tinds. In this W'ay wc were informed that the liarrcl of a musket, 
bullets, buttons and some kind of a iiadge were taken out, but any 
identification of course was entirely absent. We found the ground 
very much di.sturbed on several occasions, and had to excavate to 
cunsiderablc depth, in order to get below the surface nuiterial 
])iled up by boys and some men who had joined them. In Octobei-. 
one such visitor stated that lie had taken out part of a barrel auil 
part of the lock of a musket, and a button of the Fourth and one 
of the Forty-fifth Kegiments, but of the acc\iracy of these assertions 
we could learn nothing definite. 

Along part of the bed of the brook there was a pile of broken 
bricks and large boulders, about three feet under the ground, which 
had apparently formed the easterly edge of a one-time pit or 
excavation, but even below these bricks we found in the wet clay 
of the brook bed broken bottles, bullets, fiints, broken china, and 
pieces of brass buckles, and with these were some Inittons of the 
Thirty-eighth and the Fifty-seventh Hegiments. The bricks 
appeared to have fallen together, and were all broken Colonial red 
bricks of good shape and appearance. Their position indicated 
their use as part of a bricked-in sink or cess-pit. 

At this point, we were rewarded by finding, among the debris 
of the o8th Regiment,* as indicated bv their buttons, a bronze 



* The Thirty-eighth l!cf.'iim'iil was rinniiiandrd hy ('ulcinel Pipot and saw 
servile at Buiikei"s Hill and <dse\vliere. IJuUipii^ have been found at several 
places on the Heights. 

98 



Barracks of the Fort IVashington Garrison 

belt-plate bearing tbe roval initials " G. It." with the number of 
the reginuiit in lioman numerals, close to which lay a silver but- 
ton of an officer of the same corps, having the figure of a lion 
over a crown surmounting the regimental number, a feature uniiiue 
among the British military buttons of the locality. With this 
regiment's debris, which all appeared to have been cast near the 
same spot, we found a numhcr of liruken clay pipes, one of which 
had been broken oif short and then re-cut, so as to be used a^ a 
■■ dudecu "" or " cuddy." It had a trademark '" T " within a 
wreath. 

We next found a button of the •Tath Regiment lying close ti> 
part of a sword-blade. The objects connected with these two regi- 
ments indicated the use of tliis part of the camp deposit oa- 
'"dump" dui-ing the years 1777 and 177^. One little object 
which was at first supposed to be a button turned out on close 
examination to be a coin of one of the German States, which bore 
the words " Fennig Scheidemunze," the little coin being pierced 
with a hole, and probably having lieen used as a charm by some 
Hessian soldier, or perhaps a keepsake of the girl he left behind 
him in far Cassel. 

J]y this time the over-attentions of our numerous visitors had 
become annoying, and a party of young boys, after rendering 
themselves very obstreperous, on being driven away, retaliated by 
stoning us, and came near ending the career of one of our num- 
ber, who was struck at the base of the skiUl with a large stone, 
and for the time being, put out of the exploring business. 

The work was extended at the end of the season with gradually 
increasing difficulty, owing to the depth at which the debris lay 
towards the north and to the moisture in the soil. Finally the 
woi'k had to stop on account of the weather, and when restarted, 
it was found that the water which had accumulated in the pit lay 
around the line of tbe debris, so that a new start had to be made 
in another place. 

In the late fall of 1010, several attempts at different points 
resulted in no further finds, and trials were made at various points 

99 



Relics of the Revolution 



about ]iall'-wu_y up the bank, between the line of the original tinds 
on Bennett Avenue and the excavation wliicii had just been aban- 
doned. By good fortune, this opened up for the next season's 
work a new collection of waste material which had evidently been 
buried in a pit, which on later development proved to have been 
about twenty feet in length, and about eight feet in width, being 
dug down from the two ends to a depth of about six feet in the 
center. 

Tht material in this pit proved to be of considerable interest, 
although the numbered buttons found therein were few, and those 
that were discovered were mostly too far decayed for presei-va- 
tion. At the lowest part of the pit was what remained of a walnut 
plank, about five feet long. On this lay a broken bayonet, adher- 
ing to the rust around the liiade of which was a leaden bullet. 

Dr. Edward Hagaman Hall aided during liU:^ in the explora- 
tion of this place, and quite a number of objects were found which 
were worth presentation ; among which was a double-lieaded bar- 
shot of the smallest size yet discovered, being only eleven inches 
long, with heads of three and a half inches diameter, weighing 
complete, after cleaning, only four pounds seven ounces. An otti- 
cer's silver button in very good condition of the 45th Regiment * 
was found, and at a point nearest to the original excavation, a 
button of the TGth Highlanders, thus evidencing the use of the 
dumping jjlaces by the regiments in the Barracks. An object of 
rather unusual character was a Itrass stock-plate of a musket, 
bearing the rack-number 278. 

This i^it yielded a number of complete bowls of English clay 
pipes, several of which have interesting varieties of the recog- 
nized trade-marks, such as one with the familiar initials " T. D." 
but placed in a cartouche design. These pipes, from their prox- 
imity to the two regimental buttons referred to, were most likely 



* The Forty-fiftli ref;imcnt of Foot was commanded bv Colonel Haviland, 
and after serviee in Huston, and at the Battle of Brooklyn and the Phila- 
delphia oampaiKn. it was returned in 177S to England in a truly decimated 
condition, barely 100 strong- From the number of these buttons found at this 
place, it is most probable tliey were disposed of not later than 1778. 

100 



Barracks of the Fori Washington Garrison 

used by soldiers of those regiments, aud a small bro\vnisli colored 
pipe, Laving about four inches of the stem intact, l)earing on one 
side an unusual trade-mark " D. G." was thought to have been 
Hessian, as were undoubtedly several of the plain bnttoais wliicli 
were found in the pit. 

A one-pound cannon ball, (the size used in the little field gira 
known as the "Amusette" used by the Hessian Jagers,) with 
many bullets, buck-shot, musket flints, pike butt points aud belt 
buckles, contributed to the military character of the rest of the 
debris with which the 2:)it was liberally filled, such as the layers 
of wood ash, in \\'hich were many large meat bones, the skulls of 
cattle and of sheep, broken bottles, table glass and chinaware. 

One of the interesting objects discovered was a little oval seal, 
which under the magnifying glass disclosed the word " Liberty " 
engraved across its face, in reverse. !N^ear this was another small 
blue glass seal, or perhaps an ornament froan a cuff link, which 
bears in part the words " Bill of Rights." These inscriptions 
rather pointedly indicate objects east away or lost by the Ameri- 
can occupants of the Barracks. After this pit was cleared out, 
some further attempts were made to excavate further at the north 
end of the deep trench in the middle of the Beekman property. 
The depth to which it was necessary to dig was about five feet, 
and the difficulty of clearing the surface was increased by a large 
collection of modern rubbish. The line of bricks and stones was 
found to continue, and below it broken bottles and barrel hoops, 
many bricks and some signs of burnt materials. The ground was 
very wet and the ironwork heavily coated with rust. A lump of 
rusty clay of undistinguishable shape, on being broken open, dis- 
closed the pointed end of a bayonet, and another similar lump 
contained a fragment of a musket barrel. Bullets and gim-flints 
were comparatively scarce, though several were found near a large 
plain copper button, and such pewter buttons as were discovered 
were too far decayed for identification. There was, however, quite 
a variety of pipe bowls, one having the head and antlers of a deer 
embossed on it. 



101 



X 

THE HESSIAN HUT CAMP 

The high bank of the west side of Bennett Avenue cut by the 
street izrading was hiter examined, and on its npiicr niaviiin, about 
two feet below the surface, a fireplace was fomid. nvcr the hearth 
(if whicli nunicriius red Ijricks were piled, which luul evidently 
I'lirnicd part ol' the constrnction of a chiuinev. Tlie thxir was the 
usual jiai-l^eil and di-cnliu'od dirt. In fi'mit (>i the hcai'th lay the 
greater part of a liowl <>f Leeds creaniware, also a couple of bullets, 
fragments of coarse puttery, some forged nails, and strange to say. 
a small Indian arrow-point of war pattern. 

The hreplace was cimstrncted in a rather niinsual furm, being 
(|uite rectangular. It was :!o inches sipiare, made of large stones, 
accurately set in sand beds; and tlie hearth itself and au equal 
space in front of il were floored with Hat stones. It was so good 
a piece of constrnctidU work that a drawing was made of its 
details, and the whole of the stones were marked and removed to 
the TTead(pnirters ITmise, in the hope that some op]>ortnnity of its 
r('coii<tructi(in in the gnmnds mii;lil be found as a reminder of 
the hnt camp of the Hessian garrison. 

I >ue north, and about 25 feet from this hut, was another, the 
lloi>i of which was of hard beaten sand, extending about 12 feet 
noi'th and south. (Inly a small hreplace was fouiul in it, formed 
of I'ude stones, with ashes on the hearth, and a pot book and a 
few ludlets and plain buttons on the floor surfacH". It api>eare(l 
In be Hessian, and to have been occupied by common soldiers. 

W'itli sn<-h obiecti\e information now before us. we can the 
better a]i]ireciate the I'ccord of life in the Hut Camp whieli is 
graphically pcu'trayed in the diary of von KralTt. One of his 
earliest notes records the interesting fact that the Tint ('amp wa^ 
in ITTS occuiiied bv men of the rei;iinents of \-on Knviihansen, 



102 



The Hessian Hut Camp 



of vou Lossberg, aud of Rail, who had been at that time exchanged 
from the captivity into which a majority of them fell at Trenton. 
It was those three regiments with the AVutgenau. that had borne 
the heaviest share of the tighting in the assault and capture of 
Fort Washington in November, 177C, and the men of tiie two 
latter corjis had formed the line between which the American 
garrison gave u]) their colors and laid dnwn their arms. ft is 




'J'lic Hessian .Sprinf! 



iHit inipi'dbable, moreover, that the Hessians were the first to 
occupy the barracks or huts when these were vacated by the 
American tVirces, and thus gave to the camp the designation by 
which von Kraift described it, a connection which local tradition 
has also preserved in the name of the " Hessian Spring," by which 
their necessary supply of drinking water was provided. 

On July 9, 1778, these regiments removed from the camp, aud 
it was occupied by British troops until November of that year, 

103 



Relics of the Revolution 



when the von Tninibaeli and v<in Donop Kegiments again marched 
to the Heights. 

yome idea of the extent of the hut eanip is gained from the 
fact tliat tlie arconuniidatioii in the Imts was found to be iusutti- 
eient for Ixith regiments, so that the von l)(mop Kcgiment was 
retired to another place nntil December 1, 17TS, when the von 
Trnmbach Eegiment having vacated the huts, they marched in 
til tlieir occupancy for the winter season. In von Eelking's his- 
tory we are told the Hessian huts were nine in number for each 
company. 

Von Kratt't tells us that the huts turned out to afford but poor 
shelter for wintry weather and " so snnill tliat they had to he 
enlarged."' 

On December 10 there came on a storm, " a cruel rain and 
wind," and '' the water leaked in through everywhere " into the 
frail shelters to the discomfort of the wretched occupants. " Be- 
sides it was very cold, but one could not keep a fire on account 
of the smoke from the wind and water, nor was it possible to sleep 
dry under our blankets." It was .so bitter an experience that he 
aihls: ■■ ^fay a special mercy of <iod keep nie amidst so many 
evils, and all the others too in good health." After another storm 
threr; days later " some of the huts caved in, owing to the bad 
ground " and the " astonishing wind and rain." 

In adi] to (heir sufferings the unfortunate fellow,^ were short 
of food. It was a fact rare enough to be noted wheii they got 
bread in place of rice and the allowance of spruce beer was doled 
out only at distant intervals, and ''Rations were supplied with 
great irregularity." The commissariat appears to have been de- 
ranged by the non-arrival of supplies from England and fresh 
meat was scarce, and if served out at all, an equivalent was 
deducted in the butter, peas and rum which were supposed to form 
the rest of the ration. 

The river was at this time so frozen over that no supplies could 
be l)rou!iht that way from Xew York, and no wagons were sent 



1U4 



The Hessian Hut Camp 



" 110 one knowing the reason." So the Christmas of 177S dawned 
upon hungry soldiers, and to get even a little loaf of bread to eat 
the Sergeant had to get an orderly to go beyond the King's 
TJodoubt on Fordham Heights " to the English Bakery "' where 
he purchased a loaf of white In-ead weighing " a German pound 
for one English shilling, ji/o pence, and also some potatoes." The 
straits to which the men were put is demonstrated by this little 
episode, in which tlic (irdorly, out of devotion to his superior, 
risked the danger of lieing caught liy the American outposts. 

This apftears to have been the only cheer of his first Christmas 
Eve on the Heights and as lie says, " anyone can easily imagine 
what meditations this caused." 

At dawn on Christmas Day, while going around the hut camp 
to wake his men, he stepped upon a loose barrel-hoop, fell over 
a log, and cut his shin with the hoop. Evidently the hoops lay 
scatteretl around the camp, as the many samples which have been 
found on this and other camp sites go to show. They answered 
all sorts of purposes, being used for making hooks to hang the 
pots over the camp tiros, and others to form fire tongs, broilers 
and kettle handles. In sjiite of his painful injury the Sergeant 
persisted in going on duty to Tnwood Hill, and doctored his leg 
by putting rum and soap on the wound. This curious amateur 
remedy resulted in iiitlaunnatiou which gradually increased until 
he was finally obliged to go on the sick list, so that he spent a 
whole month in the hut camp without doing any active duty. Here 
he experienced privations due to the continued shortage of provi- 
sions. Flour, mixed with oaten groats, was all that was available 
with a few peas and a gill of rum at distant intervals. The very 
appearance of "' the miserable bread " scared the hungry soldiers. 
" How frightened we all were when we saw it, and what terrible 
stomach-aches we had after eating only a little of it. for it was 
nothing but oat grits which it was impossible to bake through. 
It weighed very heavy and with the same weight it lay in our 
stomachs. Great as our delight had been to get it, equally great 

10.5 



Relics of ihe Revolution 



were our pains and curses after eating it." Three measures of 
the groats went to one measure of corn meal, " tlie stuff being 
already half spoiled and hardly fit to eat." The excuse was made 
thai the fleet with the money and provisions For the army had 
lieen captured hy the French, but if was stated, for their as^.urance, 
that the bakers in the city had been commiinded to stop baking 
and fii keep their tlour for the army. 

'{"hough the last day of that year daw nccl mi the lint ( 'amp "' as 
heaufiful a day a~ ever it conlil lie in spring" the hungrv Ser- 
geant could not enjoy it. ".Ml tlir woivc. Iiowcvci'," he says, '' for 
the stomach, because there was little to be piii<-uic(| fiu' it." 

Cut just as hi' ULadc his last entry for tlie year, news arrived 
that some of tbr |iid\i<ion licet bad i;ot into tlie harJMn', so the 
huiigi'v men of tlie \(jn |)ono|) >pent tlie last hours of the old 
year in the lint (aniii discussing tlie " jost'iil news." 

The ini'ii of tlii> rciiiniciil wei'c iiin\cil into tents in .]\llie, \~~'.K 
on account of the outbreak of canip lexer. b\it came back to their 
(|uarters a couple of months later, onlv to snilei' more se\-erel\ 
tlian e\-ei- from the "'veritable e]iideniic." which they communi- 
cated to such of the tuifortunate residents as still clung to their 
homes in the \iciiiity. The tents were jiitched to the north of the 
l'"ort ])r<ibably on the line of I'llwood i^^trect, east of llroadway. 

Tlie ilnl ('amp was in ( )cfobei', ITT'.'. -niiied by the l''rb i'rin/. 

iicgimenl. one of tlie crack lies.-.ian coi'p>. .\lter their removal, 
it is probable that some of the iJritish corps of whose occn|ianc\ 
traces have now been found, occupied the camp until October, 
ITlsti, when the \'on I )ono|i i{ei;imenl again I'efurned to the bnfs, 
anil \on Krallt's records of e\enls again related to life on the 
Heights. |)nring the particularly sexcre winter season of ITT'J, 
there is no doubt the men of all the camps must have suffered 
severeh from lack of sufficient firewood. 

The a)p]iear:ince of the locality in ITSI' is descrihed by the 
Hessian othcer as having greatly changed. " The whole Tieigh- 
horhood was, in comparison with last year, (juite unrecognizable, 

iUii 



The Hessian Hut Camp 



the woods and bushes having been cut away.'" So completely 
had the military demand for fire-wood the previous winter nsed 
up all available timber on the Heights, that not a tree or bush 
remained, and all necessary firewood, with lumber for constructive 
purposes, had to be obtained with nmcli dithculty from Morrisania. 

On their arrival at the Hut Camp i^m this occasion, several 
companies of the regiment drew lots for their occupancy of the 
shelters, and the Lieutenant Colonel's Company, which was that 
in which von Krafi't served, was allotted huts " "u a different hill 
tioiii hist year." This reference is significant, indicating that 
(ithcr huts nniy lia\<' been lociited on tiic tcriiiccd spaces, which 
mark the hillside to the present time. 

The garrison of Fort Washington was at that time composed 
of the 57tli, the Tdth, and soth liritish regiments, a statement 
continued liy the presence of the buttons of those corps fotind at 
this place, as w(>ll as several of the "' E. P.'' or Royal Provincials, 
a Tory corps which also did service there at tiie same time and 
the buttons of which have been tomid on every camp site in the 
vicinity.'- 

It was at this time tliat von Kratt't gave to his ( 'olonel the 
'■ perspectixc situation jilan." the sketches for which he had made 
at Fort (jeorge in ITT'.t. and which he says he drew in the month 
of January, 1781, " in the Hut Camp at Fort Knyphausen." (See 
page 48 preceding. ) 

We get some insight into the rough manners and habits of the 
life which went on in the Hut ('amp in that ])eriod froni further 
entries in his diary. On the Feast of .St. John, the 24th of June, 
1781. the men in the camp nnide merry and had music, and von 
Kraft't stood by and lauulicd at their dances and antics, and 
irioralized between times over tbeii- recklessness. 



* The Royal Proviiuial ('iii])a was (lie last relic of prcn incialism in the 
United States. Tlie ref;inient was raised Iiy Colonel Roliinson and is some- 
times referred to as " Robinson's Provincial Corps," and was also known as 
the " Tioyal Americans." It is most proliable that the " R. V." buttons stand 
for the "Royal Provincials" or Robinson's T'rovincials. Von KrafTt refers 
to them as the '' R. P. Corps." 

J07 



Relics of the Revolution 



The immoral character of the women ahout the camp was cow- 
spicuous, and the men to whom they were nominally married were 
in many cases the husbands of others. As an instance, he tells of 
a soldier of the 38th British regiment, a corps whose buttons have 
been found at this site, who had deceived the chaplain of the 
von Donop Regiment into performing a marriage ceremony 
between him and a woman whose acquaintance he had made on 
the streets only a few hours before, and whom he had, by similar 
misrepresentations to his officers, received permission to marry. 

He tells of one of the sergeants of the same corps, a reckless and 
handsome young fellow who had been through no less than sixteen 
such false ceremonies by hondwinlcing his officers, and liy deceiving 
A'arious English and German chaplains into performance of the 
ceremonies, and that the rascal told the narrator that " he hoped 
to do so often again before making up his mind to take the last 
one in real earnest." 

The Hessian occupants of the Hut (Jam]), with characteristic 
(ierman industry, cultivated the ground between their rows of huts, 
and von Krafft says he had two patches near his hut in wliicli ho 
raised '" almost all the necessary vegetables from seeds procured 
in the city." So great was the demand for such products that 
tliey could have been sold for " a handsome sum in Thalers," if 
their owners had been willing to part with them. 

On a second occasion the camp 1>ecanie the hoadi|nart('rs of 
returned prisoners, when it sheltered the men of the Hanau corps, 
a regiment which had taken part in the ill-fated expedition of 
Burgoyne, and was gradually reformed out of exchanged men. 

In these and other records of the period, aided by the traditions 
of tiie old residents, a partial story of life in the Hut Camp 
was already available, but definiteness has been added to the tale, 
and tiie historical character of the locality has been determined by 
the discoveries of military objects and other indications, simple in 
character though they be, which have been described, establishing 
beyond a doulit the site and occupancy of the Hut Camp and the 
Barracks of the garrisons of Fort Washington. 

108 



XI 

LAUREL HILL, LATER FORT GEORGE 

Few of those who frequent the resorts which of recent years 
have sprung into existence around the summit of the conspicuoxis 
headhuul locally known as Eort George, have any realization that 
they are upon the ground which at one time formed one of the 
most formidable fortifications of the period of the llevolution ; 
and was also the scene of one of the most severe hand to hand 
lights of that very interesting period. 

The once beautiful and still interesting hillside, which in the 
days of the early Dutch occupation was called the Ronde-Vly-Berg, 
or Round meadow hill, had become knowu at the time of the 
Kevolution as Laurel Hill, apparently from the growth of ever- 
green bushes which fringed the steep and wooded slopes. Jt was 
natural, therefore, that this name should be applied to the woi'ks 
of defense constructed upon the summit by the Pennsylvania 
troops, in the fall of the year 1770, and that the name should 
thereafter be continned in general use until the construction of 
the commanding fortifications in 1781—2 led to their desigmition 
under the more imposing title, which, strange to say, has clung to 
the locality to this late date. 

The American fortifications consisted of a series of small 
redoubts following the natural lines of the rocky summit, prac- 
tically upon the contour of the present Fort George Avenue, and 
consisting merely of developments of the natural defensive features 
of the hill, the base of which was bathed by the waters of the 
ITalf-Creek and of the Harlem river. 

In the early hours of the day on which the momentous assault 
was made upon the position of Fort Washington, the men com- 
posing the force known as the '' Flying Camp of Pennsylvania 
Volunteers" were aroused to the defense of this part of the Heights 
by a heavy fire from the British field artillery placed on the site 

109 



Relics of the Revolution 



of what afterwards bec-aiue kiiowu as " Fort Xo. S " on Tniversity 
Heights, and a sliort time tliereaftcr, througli tlio niistv rain of 
that I'aw Xovcuilicr nnunini:, tlicv saw tiie ad\'anc(', frinii the 
dircctiiin of I'lirdiiani U2>iin tlie JIarh'in i-iver, (if a tlotilhi <if liat 
boats loaded to the iiunwalos with the picked nini active men of 
the British Uriiiade of Li-lit Infantrv. 

Landini; in tlic llalf-('reck. near the jiresent I)urando"s Hotel 
on the Speedwav, the adx'aiicinj; }>arti('~ of the attaekinir troops 
charged up the hill, and met in hand-to-hand etniHict the men of 
Chester, Cumherland and IJueks Counties, nndcr the eommand of 
William IJaxtei'. The hghling was tierce if liricf. and the havonet 
won the day. Some of those whos(> li\cs wci'e saeritieed in its 
defense recei\-ed a liasty Imrial at the hands of their opponents, 
upon the ground wliicli they had defemled, and the burying jdace 
(if Jiaxti'r was ircalled at the time oi' the construction of the 
Schultheis Casino, on the (trest of the hill on l*'ort Ceorge Aventie. 
at 19tith Street, wliere a number of human Imne^ were disturlied 
by the workmen at a jxiiiit where two rough head-stones marked 
a grave. Of these remains only one leg bone was preserved by 
F. W. Ibif'ele. and is now in the museum at the 1 feadiiuarters 
House. 

The commanding position ol' kaurel Hill exidciilly attracted tlie 
attention of tlie iiritisli military authorities thereafter, and the 
little fortitieation of Laurel Hill was e.xtended and strengthened. 
Flanked by deep valleys and fringed liv the marshes of the Dyek- 
man tract, by the Sherman Creek and the winding river, I^aiirel 
Hill became a eentral position for defense against anticipated 
attacks from Westchester ( 'ounty, and a vast amount of labor was 
evidently expended upon the construction of a sei'ies of fortifica- 
tions during the succeeding and linal years of the l{(>volutionarv 
period. 

On tlie northerly margin of the hilltop there was erected, prior 
to ITTiJ, a block-house, which stood apparently just where the 



110 



Laurel Hill, later Fort George 



present Casino bnilding is perched. This was a construction of the 
form familiar in those da^-s, composed of heavy timbers with an 
npper chamber overhanginii' tlic lower portion, pierced with open- 
inss tlironiih which muskets could be discharged upon an enemy 
below. 

The building is shown u\\tn[ the drawing made by von Kratt't in 
1779," and was hastily dismantled in .July of that year and 
shipped off to Stony Point, after the capture of the latter position 
bv the American forces. 




Ice C'leepors 

A considerable fortification took its place which temporarily 
received the name of Fort Clinton, a title which alternated with 
the original name of the hill. The works of Fort Clinton were 
eventually extended around the upper portion of the hill, approxi- 
mately on the line of Fi)rt (Icorge and Ainstei'd:iiii A\'einu's, about 
1780. 

The next constructive step undertaken was the connection of the 
fort by a chain of breastworks and I'cthmbts, extending down intn 
the valley on the west and up to the Mount Washington hillside to 
a connection with Fort Tryon. The chain of works was known as 
the " Line of Circumvallation " or Barrier. The point at which 



* Page 49. 



Ill 



Relics of the Revolution 



this line crossed King's JJridge lioad was provided with an 
entrance known as the " Barrier Gate/' which .stood ou Broadway 
near the line of tlip jiresent Smverbv cottage, jtist south of Hill- 
view Avenue. 

This elaborate system of military construction was a result of 
the abandonment of the outlying fortifications on JSpuyteu Uuyvii 
and King's Bridge Hills. Within the line of defense thus formed, 
a great camp, frequently referred to as the "Laurel Hill I 'amp,'' 
was formed and was certainly occupied during the rest f)f the 
Jievolution, as shown by numerous relics of military life which 
have been fotmd upon its area, and which have afforded practical 
evidence of its extent and its importance. 

The cncanijjment appears to have been located with particular 
reference to a water supply capable of providing, at any rate to 
some extent, the needs of the large body of men who must from 
time to time have occupied the place, the center of which was 
approximately the line of 191st Street and Audidion Avenue. 
Here a spring of water, traces of which existed until a very recent 
date, emerged in a hollow in the hilltop, and flooding an area of 
marshy grotind in the vicinity of IKHtli Street, overflowed east and 
west in the form of small brooks to the valleys below. 

The marshy space, which has now been tilled into a fruitful 
truck garden, has yielded a considerable number of military objects 
evidencing the occupation of the immediate vicinity by a large 
garrison, some of whom were frecpiently set to labor upon erecting 
the earthworks already described, and during the years 1781 to 
1783 that still more extensive fortification which formed the great 
Fort fJeorge. fragmentaiy remains of which may still be traced in 
]iart of the ground, just north of the Isabella Heimath Institu- 
tio.n. 

One of the interesting remains of the work of the soldiery may 
still be setui in a well-preserved angular redoubt upon the hillside 
a little to the east of Amsterdam Avenue on the line of Uilst 
Street, within full view of the many thousands of pleasure-seekers 

112 



LauTel Hill, later Fort George 



who pass upon the Aveuuo to aud from the modern Fort George 
resorts. 

It is probable that the camp extended from about the line of 
ISSth Street between Audubon and Eleventh Avenues to 190th 
Street, upon the margin of the marsh or jjoud, and that another 
encampment was placed upon the high ground north of 191st 
Street. Very recent observations have located some signs uf 
occupation, such as English copper halfpence, on the line of lS9th 
Street, and more may yet be discovei-ed. 

Von Kraflt's sketch, drawn at a time when he was personally 
engaged in the work upon the hill, gives a very good idea of its 
then condition. West and south of Fort Clinton he indicates the 
spot where he notes that the huts were built and occupied by the 
Forty-fourth Regiment of Foot, whose discarded and lost buttons 
have been found in greater numbers than those of any other corps 
within the area described. 

J 11 the grading of Eleventh Avenue in the year ISSO, and of 
Audubon Avenue in 1902, and in the cultivation of the farm lands 
between the two, a variety of military buttons has come to light, 
indicating the character of the corps which from time to time 
occupied this locality, and confirming the references of von 
Kratft in every instance. Some of these may be objects lost 
during the fierce if short fight which took pbice in the assault 
of the hill on November 1(1, ITTG, in which were engaged the men 
of the Light Infantry and some grenadier companies of a number 
of regiments. But inasmuch as this encounter must have taken 
place more upon the sides and brow of the hill than upon the level 
upper portion, the discovery of the Ijnttons upon the latter place 
can in general lie taken to indicate the presence in camp of the 
regiments indicated between 177C aud 1783. An exception may 
be probably in the case of a few of such buttons found on the 
hillsides to the east of the fortification, such as some of the buttons 
now in the collection of Inspector Cortright, which include those 
of the King's Own or the Fourth, the Northumberland Fusiliers, 
the Welsh Fusiliers or Twenty-third, and several others. But 



113 



Relics of the Revolution 



inasmuch as the Lincolushire or Tenth, the Thirty-third and 
the Forty-second Koyal Highlanders, whose buttons have also 
been discovered around this area, were engaged in another pai-t of 
the Heights during the assault, we may in general regard these 
indications of the presence of the troops as having been lost during 
the camp life, rather than during the actual engagements. 

Von Krafft's references to the locality are somewhat numerous, 
and his infomiatiou as to the engineers who designed the fortiiica- 
tions and his personal work thereon render the few remaining 
traces of military work upon the hill particularly interesting. 

The chief engineer charged with the construction of Fort Clinton 
and its related works was a Lieutenant named Marshall, of the 
OOth Koyal American Kegimeut, and his active assistant was 
Lieutenant Sproule of the 16th Regiment of Foot, which latter 
corps was camped on the hill sometime prior to the month of 
iMarch, 1781, and vacated their (piarters there on the fourth of 
tliat month. 

It is evident that the 44th Foot llegiment was for a consider- 
able period in occupation of the camp, and undoubtedly took a 
large part in the construction of the works as early as 177S. On 
the 23d of Augiist in this year it marched out of the huts and 
was replaced by three companies of the Hessian Regiment of 
Prinz Carl, wliich had been temporarily encamped near, probably 
to the south of 190th Street. 

In the year 1778, the 44th provided working parties consisting 
of a sub-officer and twenty-five men. who worked with larger 
details from the 57th (West iMiddlesex) Regiment, upon the line 
of " Circumvallatiou." The history of the 44th is interesting 
inasmuch as the regiment saw considerable service and received its 
full share of hard luck. Sailing for North America in May, 1775, 
the 44th Regiment arrived in Ijoston in time to participate in 
tlie liattle of I)Unker Hill. After its arrival in New York, it was 
engaged in the Battles of Long Island, White Plains and Fort 
Washington. The regiment was thereafter stationed in Harlem, 
and at one time was so scattered that it had one company at New 

114 



Laurel Hill, later Fori. Ceorse 



York, seveu at Hell Gate, and two at ISTew Brunswick. It took 
part in the Philadelphia Campaign at the Brandywine, at Ger- 
mantown and at ]\Ionmoiitli. and at tlie end of 177S was again 
at New York, having one L'umpauy at Fort Kny^jhanscn, seven at 
Laurel Hill and another at Jamaica, Long Island. It was 
embarked in September, 177 'J, for Quebec and the fleet of which 
its transports were a part, was .scattered by a hurricane and a 
number of vessels were lost with all hands or captured by priva- 
teers. One of the latter was the " Empress," upon which were 
several of the officers of the regiment. On the return of the un- 
fortunate expedition, the regiment, " very much injured," was 
placed at Paulus Hook, and at that time had been reduced to 
539 rank and file, with thirty sergeants and eighteen dnimmers. 
These figures appear in a return which the writer found among 
General Robertson's papers in the Kecord Office in London, under 
date " 15 :May, 1780." 

The regimental buttons of this eorjis are pewter of two sizes, 
coat and sleeve. The buttons have an elaborate design, consist- 
ing of the number " 44 " surmounted by tlie royal crown and 
surrounded by a floral border. The pattern on the face of the 
" 44 '■ button is the most neatly executed amongst the great variety 
of designs shown on the military buttons of the period. 

The Laurel Hill camp also sheltered, among other corps, the 
57th Eegimcnt of Foot, or the West Middlesex Regiment, whose 
buttons have so frequently been discovered in the vicinity. It is 
possible that the encampments of the different corps extended as 
far south as lS4th Street and Wadsworth Avenue, at which point 
an officer's button of this corps was found by Mr. Calver. 

Under date of July, 1781, General Washington noted as one 
of his observations upon his reconnoitering expedition, that there 
was an encampment near Laurel Hill, comprising about forty-five 
tents and huts, " which appear," he says, " to be inhabited by, it 
is said, the ' Fifty-seventh Regiment.' " In August of the same 
year, this regiment was encamped on Laurel Hill, and on leaving 
at that time, was replaced by two companies of the Hessian 



115 



Relics of the Revolution 



Kegimeut, the Jung Lossberg, which had previously been kuowii 
as the Mirbach. On Thursday, 17th May, 1781, during a terrific 
thunder storm, a soldier of the 57th, while doing sentry duty on 
the east side of l^aurel Hill, was strufk dead by lii;litiiiiig, and 
another man at the same time fell a victim, while tisliing in the 
river below. 

The 57th provided men in May, 1779, for work upon the earth- 
works extending up to Fort Tryon, on the site of which a gold 
button of an officer of this regiment was discovered.- 

The buttons of this corps are largo and carry the old-fashioned 
script number surrounded by a thin looji open at the top, with 
a point or dot above the opening. 

A list of the regiments of which buttons have been found around 
the Laurel Hill camp site and which are now included in the col- 
lection of ilr. W. L. ('alver. Inspector Oortright and other uiiudi- 
collections, comprises a large proportion of the Tiritish anny : 

2nd Foot, Coldstream (iuards 

3d, or the Buffs 

4th, or King's Own Regiment of Foot 

10th, or Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot 

14th, or Buckinghamshire Regiment of Foot 

IGth Regiment of Foot 

22d, or Manchester Volunteers ( The Cheshire Regiment after 
1782). 

23d, or Royal Welsh Fusiliers 

28th Regin'ient of Foot 

33d — Cornwallis' Regiment. 

30tli — This regiment was not here, but the button indicates 
the presence of a detached officer. 

37th — Colonel Coote 

o.sth — Colonel J'igot 

40th — Colonel John Hamilton — camped here in August, 1783 

42d — Highlanders (Black Watch) 

43d — Colonel Gary 

44th — Colonel James Abercrombie 

4(lth, or vSonth Devonshire 

49th, now the Royal Berks 

116 



Laurel Hill, later Fori George 




Regimental Buttons found at Fort George 

117 



Relics of the Revolution 



o2d — Colonel Claverini;' 

57th — Colonel Trwine 

63d — Colonel (General) Thos. Grant 

64tli Mnsketeers 

70th, or Snrrey Reg'iment 

74th Highland Regiment 

76th Highland Regiment 

80th Royal Edinlnirgh Volnnteers 

R. P.. or Royal Provincial Regiment 

2d Americans, or Lord Rawdon's corps of Volnnteers of Ireland 

The New York Volnnteers — Lt. Col. Tnrnbnl! 

Tlie Royal Marines 

In addition to the numbered military buttons a variety of plain 
and ornamental buttons, many having a pewter loop, distinguish- 
ing them from those of the P>ritish troops, indicate the presence 
of the regiments of the Hessian Anny. 

Of the military relics other than buttons found in this locality, 
a number can be directly associated with the assault on Fort 
Washington, as they consist of missiles evidently fired and 
exploded diiring the engagement. Of this character, perhaps the 
most interesting is the double-headed navy bar-shot foimd by the 
late F. W. Hofele, with which some of the spikes and nails with 
which it was filled between its heads, were still in contact, exhibit- 
ing in a definite form the character of those terrible missiles of 
destruction, and by comparison enabling the use to be established 
of some of very similar spikes and nails found scattered over 
many parts of the Heights. Portions of large exploded shells 
have also been found upon the hilltop, of size such as fifty pounds 
weight, of which one complete specimen was discovered in the 
neighborhood of Dyckman Street below the hill, and these with 
the bar-shot were in all probability thrown from the gnins of the 
frigate "Pearl" during the engagement of I^ovember 16, 1776; 
that vessel having been in action in the early part of that day on 
the Hudson river, whence a clear view is obtainable of the north- 
erly end of Laurel Hill between Mount Washington and Inwood 
Hill. 

118 



Laurel Hill, later Fort George 



Of smaller missiles found in this vicinity, there are several 
sizes of grape aud canister shot, cast balls of one pound and 
upwards; some bearing signs of impact. Quantities of leaden 
bullets have been found, associated as usual with the broken and 
lost gun flints, and portions of ironwork of muskets, ramrod 
guides and bayonet scabbard hooks. 

The camp tools are of interest. Among these are several used 
by blacksmiths, and a small swage or block of the type used for 
splitting gun-fiints. Part of a sword-blade was found by Mr. 
Calver, and some of the old-style ramrod sockets, indicating a 
breakage or destruction of muskets. The large spikes and nails, 
some of which have been foimd associated with wood ashes, may 
have formed part of the construction of the huts of the troops. 

Of personal relics, many curious objects have been recovered, 
such as cuff-links of officers, adorned with glass crystals mounted 
in rather flimsy gilt and silver settings; shoe and knee buckles, 
ornamented and plain, and many belt and harness buckles, chains 
and horseshoes, the latter particularly around the spot near 190th 
Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, whei'o possibly the horses of the 
artillery were stabled. 

It was a curious coincidence that one of the glass cuff-links was 
nuitched by a mate found in the valley below, among the ruins of 
the first house of the Dyckmau family, at 210th Street on the 
bank of the Harlem river. 

Broken earthenware, china and bottles wore distributed through- 
out the soil, and two scraps of \vnnc bottles are of special interest, 
as one bears a seal with the name " Geo. Errington " and the other 
the initials "R. M.," possibly indicating the abstraction of the 
bottle, and its contents, from the cellar of the mansion of Colonel 
Roger Morris. 

From every point of view of the conspicuous summit of the 
hill, on which Fort George was built, a large exposed boulder can 
still be seen, upon the east side of Audubon Avenue, on the line 
of 191st Street. Its surface was much scored and cracked by 
the action of fire, and from its base sprang and sprawled over it 

119 



Relics of the Revolution 



an ancient apple tree fonning a favorite shelter for many of the 
couples who roam over the hill chiring the summer season. This 
rock must have stood very close to the south line of the earthwork 
of the embankment of Fort George, probably at the entrance to that 
fortification. On an attempt being made to ascertain whether the 
rock had been used as a shelter for the fires of the soldiery, the 
discovery was made of a fireplace at the south end of this boulder, 
the hearth of which was laid carefully with red bricks, the back 
composed of large stones. Around this hearth a number of ob- 
jects, familiar as evidences of camp life, were found, such as 
charcoal, meat bones, broken bottles, pot hooks and nails. And 
within a few feet lay a button of the 70th or SuiTCy Regiment 
of F(X)t, evidencing the presence of this regiment, at a date prob- 
ably later than the completion of the fort. 

Another fireplace was exposed and destroyed by workmen grad- 
ing for Hillside Avenue, at a jioint almost in the center of Fort 
George. This was coustnieted entirely of stones, and faced south- 
west as in the other instance, but was at a level about three feet 
below the surrounding surface and was presumed to have been the 
fireplace of a dug-out or sunken gniard-house or hut. 

One of the most interesting objects found on this camp site 
is a fine bronze belt-plate bearing the embossed design of two 
cannons crossed above a pile of round shot, which was that of one 
of the artiller\inen of the Hessian Anspach Kegiment. The Hes- 
sian Kegiments were each equipped with their own artillery. The 
Anspachs were taken at ^'orktown, and their regimental tlag is 
in the Chapel at West Point. 



120 



XII 

FORT TRYON, OR FOREST HILL 

Xot less interesting than those of the main position, are the 
remains of the northern outwork or Ijattery, knowTi as Fort Tryon, 
now to be found existing only in part, but some of it in excellent 
preservation, on private grounds on the Hudson side of the valley, 
about on the line of 196th Street. 

Its title, given to it l>y the British after its capture, still 
strangely clings to it, and perpetuates the memory of the last 
British or Colonial Governor of Xcw York, Sir William Tryon, 
whose appointment dated only from 1771. He was, during the 




I'.ultiMi of the l>t Maryland I'.attalion 

earlier part of his tenure of office, extremely popular, Imt later 
his conduct brought on him the detestation of the patriotic ele- 
ment, and his rcsignatimi in 177S was regretted by uone but 
vehement loyalists. 

It is certainly strange that among the enforced changes of 
nomenclature which swept away from the City nearly every title 
of street or locality that smacked of royalty or officialism, the 
memory of this last Governor should have been perpetuated in the 
title of this little fort, around and in which so much patriotic 
I)lood was shed. 

The fort was ingeniously designed, as were all these fortifica- 
tions, to take advantage of the ground. A survey, made in 1819, 
•shows three breastworks of which only one is still traceable. 

121 



Relics of the Revolution 



At the time of the attack the defenses of this fortitication con- 
sisted only of two guns, though a third was perhaps brought up 
during the lighting. The place was defended by a part of the 
mixed regiment of those determined Virginian and Maryland rifle- 
men, whose courage had saved the American rear guard on Long 
Island, and who were commanded by Lieut. Col. Moses Iiawlings, 
serving under whom was j\Lijor Utlio Holland Williams. Their 
gallant defense of the post against a frontal attack by something 
like four thousand Hessians forming the brigade under General 
Knyphansen. and the grenadier battalion of Colonel Rahl, which 
division of the German forces took the westerly side or flank of 
the combined attack, has been frequently commended in history, 
and is worthy to rank as one of the bravest achievements of the 
War of Independence. 

The breastworks on all sides of the battery commanded the 
abrupt sides of this steep hill, the easiest access to which was 
directly from the north. The importance as well as the strength 
of the position was evident to the attackers, which they would not 
assault until the British forces were well advanced on the east, 
and they were also assisted by the gvms of His Majesty's ship 
" Pearl," which is shown on Faden's map of the operations, headed 
close in shore, evidently attacking this point. 

This vessel treated the defenders to 25-pound round shot, chain 
and bar shot, some of which have been found of recent years on 
the Hudson side of the bluff, and even on the hill beyond. 

The force of Hessians must have suffered severely here, and 
many a relic of the fight has liocn upturned when the soil has 
been disturbed, and with pennies of the Georges, shot, nmskets, 
bayonets and poor hunnin relics, have been given away, or are 
in some instances still held by inhabitants of these Heights. 

It is sad to have to observe that the interesting remains about 
the place, which existed only a few years ago, have been destroyed 
by the extensive regradiTig and Imilding on the property. 

JjcIow the line of the fort, amid embowering fern and shade, 
there was a deep well blasted out of the rock, of the same shape 



122 



Fori Trvon, or Forest Hill 



and depth as that within the lines of Fort Washington, and on 
the face of the bluff at the west could be found, close to another 
well preserved portion of the breastworks overlooking the river, 
a rockv spring which douljtless supplied the garrison with water. 

The rough hillside from Inwood to the fort was prepared in 
anticipation of the attack from that direction, with obstructions 
of felled timber, stones and brushwood, and we may picture the 
best of the southern marksmen concealed on that November day 
in every point of vantage, to contest or delay the advance. Vei'v 
well described by Hessian officers who took part in it, and espe- 
cially by Lieutenant Wiederliold, who wrote an excellent account, 
are the German views of the affair. The mercenary forces were 
brought over the King's Bridge in the early dawn of that day, 
at 5.30 A. M., and were massed in two columns, awaiting the order 
to advance. The riglit comprised two divisions, one composed of 
the battalion of Grenadiers under command of Colonel Rahl, after- 
wards to die by an American bullet at Trenton, and the other 
under the direction of Baron Wilhelm von Knyphausen, second in 
conunand of the Hessian division. The left was placed under 
the orders of ]\Iajor General Schmidt, and they advanced along 
the then line of tlio l\ist Road, on the margin of the Harlem 
River. 

All the Hessian columns stood at attention while the British 
force, under the command of Lord Cornwallis, advanced on Laurel 
Hill or Fort George. For nearly five hours the Hessians stood 
under arms, and not until it was seen that Cornwallis had obtained 
a lodgment, did their order come to advance. Between 10 and 
] 1 o'clock the men under Rahl were marched forward and wheeled 
to the riglit and advanced lomid the south side of Spuytcn Duyvil 
Creek to Inwood Hill, on tho summit of which, overlooking Spuy- 
ten Duyvil, a small outwork, knowm to the Americans as the 
" Cockhill Fort," had been erected. 

^o description of this part of the affair can be found but it 
may be presumed, after clearing the little force of defenders, 
described as " a few men," out of this fort, or perhaps putting 



123 



Relics of the Revolution 



them all to the sword, this fort-e turned west and marched along 
the Hudson parallel to the force under Knyphausen, which in the 
meantime had advanced across the marshes to near Dycknian 
Street. 

Ivnvpliausen's column appears to have undertaken the tinigliest 
part of the work. They made for the valley 1 etweeu luwood Hill 
and the end of Jfount Washington where Dyckman Street now 
runs to what used to he known as Tubby Hook. Crossing the low- 
land, they had to wade the marshy meadows, and then, led by 
their General in person, they charged the thickets of the precipi- 
tous hill, where, liohiud every point of cover, the Virginian rifle- 
men lay waiting for them to come within range. Over felled trees 
and brushwood, piled stones and thickets, the men were urged 
by their officers, Knyphausen himself tearing down obstructions 
with his own hands, and showing such conspicuous daring in the 
thickest of the fight, that Lieut. Wiederhold declared it was 
" wonderful that he came off without being killed or wounded." 

We get a glimpse of the defenders, who, says the narrator, lay 
snugly behind trees, bushes, stone walls and rocks, shooting at 
long range, and then running back to fresh cover. The Germans 
were no match for such shooting, to which they could make no 
eft'ective reply, and their only siicces.s lay in rushing the positions 
while the defenders were reloading in the tedious manner their 
old-fashioned weapons reciuired. Many of the defenders must 
have been dead shots, but a turkey-rifle is a poor weapon in hand 
to hand fighting, and to these marksmen no quarter was given by 
Hessians or British, for as a matter of course in those days "A 
rifleman is not entitled to any quarter." This treatment extended 
not only to those rillcnien " in the woods," but also " in the out- 
works," and the statement confirms the story of the bloody scene 
that took place in the little fort, when the rush of invaders swept 
over its ramparts. A. bent and rusty bayonet was disinterred at 
Fort Trvon on tlie line of the defence. It does not need much 
imagination to picture the work in which that bayonet may have 
been used as its owner forced his way with it over the ramparts, 

124 



Fort Trvon, or Forest Hill 



wheu Kahl, crving " Faiuard, all my Grenadiers," led the Hes- 
sians in their last and successful charge. 

The fightinff liecame vorv desperate, Imt the result was inevi- 
tahle when the majority with the hayoiiet got to close quarters. 
J)Ut so stubliornly did the Southerners contest each point, that 
wlien finally driven up on the level ground behind the Fort, the 
assailers and assailed were " all mingled in a mass, rushing 
towards the Fort." This was the scene which was visible to Wash- 
fngton from the Palisades across the river. The excited Hessians 
were no doubt striking down their opponents armed or unarmed, 
and the location where this melee tix)k place is the only spot open 
enough for such a scene to have been visible from the heights of 
the western bluffs. The commander of this force had at this 
juncture a superhuman task. 

Saft'ell relates that Lt. Colonel Kawlings was at some part 
of the engagement at Fort George, which is half a mile across 
the valley in which the Post Koad ran. The entire northern line 
of defence appears to have been under his direction, and no doubt 
he had to divide his attention along the line. We know that the 
disposition made by this gallant nuin of his slender forces is said 
to have received special commendation, and it is also stated that 
he could have held out much longer if support had been available. 

The retirement of the American force along the crest of the 
hill was effected under cover of the g-uns of Fort Washington, the 
defenders evidently contesting in a rimning fight the whole of the 
intei-vening distance. 

The retreat of those Southerners who escaped the melee was 
stayed upon reaching the breastworks in the immediate vicinity 
of Fort Washington. There they met the support not only of 
the fire of the Pennsylvania reserves, but also the round shot and 
grape from the guns of the fort. The latter was already very 
actively engaged witli the British and those Hessians who had 
advanced up the line of the Post Poad, and probably also with 
the British forces then arriving from the south, who had driven 
in Colonel Cadwalader's forces from that direction. But the 



125 



Relics of the Revolution 



ilSoutlieruers still showed stubborn tight. Knyphauseu with his 
ofhcers got behiud the shelter of a large baru, where a halt was 
called, aud Colonel Kahl was directed to send forward a demand 
for the surrender of Fort Washington. 

The value of Fort Tryou was recognized by the British military 
authorities, and in 1779, when the decision was reached to with- 
draw the outposts from the forts in Westchester, it was decided 
to construct a six gun battery at Forsed or Forest Hill, as von 
Krafft always designated that place. The work was done by men 
of the Hessian Garde du Corps, or Eoyal Body Guard, of the 
von Donop regiment, the 5 7th and 17th foot, and the Tory Koyal 
Provincial Corps, under the direction of Lieut. Marshall of the 
60th "Royal American" regiment. This work was made the 
westerly end of a line of earthworks or breastworks extending 
across to Fort George, called by von Kratit •■ the line of Circum- 
vallation.'' Its course zig-zagged down the steep hill east of Libbey 
Castle to Broadway at aboixt lOi^d Street, aud united with a similar 
line from Fort George at the Barrier Gate. Around the places of 
the Chittenden and Thayer, Hay and Lilil)ey families, numerous 
cannon shot, grape, and bullets lia\e been unearthed. A, number 
of the most interesting specimens have been loaned for exhibition 
at the Headquarters House, by .Mi'. Jonas Libbey. They in- 
clude a leaden ball of aliout one pound weight, and several solid 
shot, one of which is marked with the broad arrow of the British 
army. Mr. \\'. C. Muschenheim had a very complete pocket pistol 
and a whole rum bottle of the pint size, which with other objects 
were destroyed in the fire that c<insutned his residence. 

A fine sabre blade was found at the same place, aud the short 
bayonet previously referred to, also a pike head which may have 
been of American ownership. 

Such mementoes of the actual fighting carry us Ijack in imagi- 
nation to that raw Xovember day when, from the edge of the 
Palisades, George Washington watched with earnest attention the 
gallant defense of ilount Washington liy the boys of his own 



126 



Fori Tryon, or Forest Hill 



home state, and was moved to bitter tears as he watched their 
defeat and slaughter. 

Other military objects show the occupation of the fort at a 
later period by Gemian and British troops in garrison. Num- 
bered buttons of two British foot regiments said l)y von Krati't 
to have been employed in the construction of the work, attest his 
accuracy. A bronze belt buckle was found having the letters 
'■ C G." cut out in its central part. This probably was a part 
of the accoutrements of a soldier of the Coldstream Guards. It 




Bronze Buckle of tlie Coldstream Guards 
(Found at Fort Trvoii) 



was given by Mr. W. L. Calver in June, 1914, to that regiment 
and is placed in their headquarters in St. James Palace, London. 
A bronze copy of it was made for record. 

An officer's gold faced button of the I7th Eegiment was found 
near a button of the 71st Highland Regiment. 

The tide of conflict was not again turned in this direction; 
the strength of the position for defense had been amply demon- 
strated in its gallant defense in '76, and so, with the exception 
of some few blank rounds fired in July, 1781, on the occasion 

127 



Relics of the Revolution 



of General Clinton's inspection, no active part in the war was 
taken by Fort Try on. 

From time to time, as tlie Ijeaiity of the location attracted new 
residents to the Fort Tryon Hill, the mattock of the excavator and 
the spade of the gardener have t\inied nji iiuiny a visible evidence 
of the deadly encounter that nnidc this phu-e famrnis in onr cuin- 
Trv's history. 



128 



XIII 
THE CAMP OF THE HESSIAN BODY GUARD 

Au extensive camp site has been traced by various evidences as 
having existed upon the rolling ground before Fort George laying 
east of Broadway between 194th Street and Dyckman Street; a 
tract fringed by the marshy etHuent of the brook which ran across 
the high road near the Barrier Gate, and found its way eastward 
into the shallow waters of the Half Kill or pi-esent Sherman's 
Creek. It seems more than probable that some sort of channel 
had been excavated extending towards the high road, for iu 1781, 
von Krafft refers to pontoons which were floated near the " Line 
Barrier '" or " Principal Barrier." 

The Barrier Gate was the entrance to the fortitied line of 
defenses, connecting Fort George with Fort Tryon, which was 
constructed in 1780. A contemporary visitor says: " The road 
between Laurel liill and the heights on the Fort Knyphausen 
side, is so narrow that it is shut up with a gate where a guard 
is kept." 

Old residents recall the existence of the ruins of the stonework 
forming the barrier gate, and locate it just south of the Sowerby 
cottage, which is still standing on the east of Broadway, about 
the line of 194th Street. 

jMr. Will Conklin stated to the writer that he assisted to remove 
the stones at the time of the widening of the King's Bridge Koad, 
and that they were utilized to construct the culvert which carries 
under Broadway the waters of the brook descending from Fort 
Washington, at the intersection of Xagel Avenue. The map of 
17S2 shows the earthworks as then existing, and places a sort of 
fort or redoubt on the east side of the road, evidently commanding 
the approach on the north. 

Evidence of the occupation of this place by soldiery was dis- 
covered by Mr. Calver, in the bank east of Broadway, now part 

129 



Relics of the Revolulion 



of Broadway Street, wliicli was the approximate site of the redoubt 
and later excavations by Mr. Alexander C. Chenoweth were 
rewarded In' a number of military objects, including bayonets, 
which are still in his possession. Some later and more extensive 
excavations brought to light the remains of several fireplaces, one 
having the appearance of a bake-oveu, formed of large stones set 
together and covering over a hearth, in which was a mass of wood 
ashes, containing no less than twenty-one of the butt ends of pikes, 
frequently found near other camp fires. Ko buttons were, how- 
ever, found at this place. 

Just north of the intersection of Broadway and Xagel Avenue, 
occupying the space between the two, is a large patch of truck 
garden, long cultivated by that picturesque Civil War veterau 
Zerrenner, a one-time despatch rider of the ISTew York Cavalry 
in the Civil War. 

Zerrenner's military knowledge led him to discern the nature 
of many of the odd objects which his deep tillage of the black 
soil brought to his hands, a knowledge fortunately communicated 
to his sons, who have farmed for many years similar ground on 
Laurel Hill, whence nuniy of the relics of its forts and camps have 
been secured. 

In digging at the north side of his little cottage on the line 
of 196th Street. Zerrenner disturbed human remains, which have 
some appearance of being those of military burial. Over the 
cultivated space, quite a numlier of military buttons have been 
found, including those of the ;")4tli, r)7tli and of the 71st British 
regiments. It is interesting also to note that various stone arti- 
facts disclose the occupancy of this area by the aborigines. 

J 11 I'.m, a new street, rejoicing in the inappropriate name of 
" Elwood," was excavated across the vacant land north of Zer- 
renncr's farm, extending from Nagel Avenue to Broadway, the 
cutting of the ground for which very promptly disclosed military 
occupation. 

130 



The Camp of the Hessian Bod]) Guard 



Wheu the ground was disturbed by the workmen, tliev unfor- 
tunately tore away several tire-pits. About 3U0 feet west of Xagel 
Avenue, there was a place which appeared to have been the floor 
of a hut, the ground leveled oft" and beaten very hard, and several 
large stones being set together as a fireplace, with burnt clay and 
ashes and nails near by. On the hard surface lay the butt end 
of a pike, the customary broken bottles, bones, clay pipe frag- 
ments, and several barrel hoops and pot hooks. 

Other lire-pits were found about one hundred feet west by 
north, one of which contained a bone button and a large pot 
hook, another yielded a silver button and a bullet, and a larger pit 
afforded quite a store of articles taken by the Spier brothers, 
including a bone-handled fork, a knife blade, a pocket knife, brass 
and iron shoe buckles, a stirrup, two gun-flints and nails and 
bones. Later, a bullet and a brass spoon were found at the same 
place, with a barrel hoop ingeniously bent and tv.isted so as to 
form a handle for a kettle or pot. 

By far the most interesting discovery, however, was made by 
Dougherty, the foreman in charge of the grading of Arden Street, 
the next street cut across east to west and parallel with that pre- 
viously described. This excavation cut into the hill which extends 
from the Gas Works to Dyckmau Street on the east side of Broad- 
way, and on the easterly slope of " the Knoll," as it is locally 
known, the workmen disturbed remains indicating the site of a 
hut, with plentiful signis of Are, stones and brick and military 
objects of interest. 

One of these is a complete ramrod nearly four feet in length. 
The preservation of so frail an object, in a complete condition, 
and by such a method of exploration, is little less than miraculous. 
With this were two bayonets, and several table knives and forks 
having silver-mounted mahogany handles, evidently the posses- 
sions of an oflicer, whose identity was, strange to relate, disclosed 
by a fine silver belt-plate bearing the Royal monogi-am and the 
name and number of the 28th Foot Regiment. When this object 



131 



Relics of the Revolution 



came into the possession of Mr. Calver, his close examination dis- 
closed the presence of the initials " J. E."' scratched deeply in 
the back of the plate. By correspondence with an English mili- 
tary historian it was learned that there had been in the service 
of that regiment a Lieutenant l>v the name of James Edwards. 
This officer was wounded at the battle of the Brand^'wine, and 
his name disappeared from the regimental lists in 1779. 

Regimental buttons of the 28th have been found at Fort George, 
at the Barrack site. Fort Washington, and in Fort No. 4, at 
King's Bridge, showing that the men did duty at some time at 
various points around the Heights. The 28th saw considerable 
service in the war after its embarkation for America in 1775, 
being engaged at the battle of Brooklyn and its men having been 
among the first to cross the Bronx river at the battle of White 
Plains. It took ])art in the Pennsylvania campaign in 1777, and 
was engaged at the battle of the Brand^^^vine. It is probable that 
its occupation of this camp was after its return to ^STew York in 
1778. The regiment sailed for Barbadoes on the 4th of November, 
1778, so that the objects above described were probably abandoned 
about that date, perhaps lieing overlooked in the haste of leaviug 
for the embarkation, and buried from sight upon the dismantling 
of the huts occu]>ied by the corps. 

Indications of other fireplaces were found in the inmiediate 
vicinity and were thought to have marked tlie position of other 
dug-out huts. The outline of one such construction was traceable 
in the side of the sand bank excavated for the street, and showed 
that the floor of a hut had been cut into the hillsiile to a distance 
of about ten feet and a depth at the rear of about five feet, where 
stones had been placed for a small fireplace, from which some 
idea was gathered as to liow iliese places of shelter were fomied. 
It was such shelters or huts to wbirli reference was made iu the 
Hessian Eegimental record, quoted iu ]Max von Eelking's story 
of the " German Allied Troops," which, speaking of the German 
troops on the Heights, said : 



132 



The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 



" The forces outside of the city at King's Bridge were better 
oflF, for they had conifortaVde huts, nine for each company, and 
each officer had his own, all suri-ounded with gardens in which 
flowers and vegetables wei-e gi-own. The huts of the subaltenis 
had two rooms, those of the Captains three, with windows ; behind 
tliese huts were stalls for horses, pigs, chickens, and other stock." 

A study of the persijective drawing made by von Krafft indi- 
cated that this hillside was probably that occupied by the hut 
camp of the Hessian Body-Guard regiment or Garde-du-Cor^js. 
Observations were made from time to time on excavations made 
for sand on the sides of the hill and of the excavated streets, and 
when Thayer Street was cut through the knoll north of and parallel 
to Ai'den Street, additional signs of military occupation came to 
light in the shape of metal objects and a bayonet which was found 
by the workmen and added to the private collection found by the 
brothers Spier. Just south of Thayer Street a line of black earth 
in the sand bank, well up the knoll, showed some past disturbance 
of the surface and this was followed up by Leslie Spier, who 
uncovered a hut with a large fireplace constructed of flat stones, 
having a mass of wood ashes ou the hearth. In this hut he secured 
a complete glass bottle, and the usual pot hooks, also a curious 
broiler made of a barrel hoop twisted around to form a suitable 
shape for the purpose. 

A later e.xcavation disclosed a complete glass rum bottle, some 
shoe buckles, a pewter spoon of crude shape and several barrel 
hoops, so located as to indicate the presence of a tub at one corner 
of the occupied space, probably used as a wash-bowl. 

This hut was close to an old English hawthorn bush, which 
had often attracted attention, as the only one of its species in the 
vicinity, and its size indicated that it might be old enough to have 
sprung from seed or cutting placed there in the Revolution by 
some British soldier, a reminder of the English hedge rows. This 
find stimulated a wider search with the steel sounding rod, piercing 
the soil at intervals to find bard places indicative of the packed 
sand of a hut floor, and the following week, another hut was located. 



Relics of the Revolution 



It was in a most iuaccessible situation ou the hill partly covered 
with the abandoned wagons of the rock contractor and partly \vith 
large lumps of rock. Howe\er, though no objects of interest were 
found save some broken glass and china, it formed another link 
in the line of the huts, and led to the location of a third in which 
the fireplace was a mere sand bed without stones ; and a part of 
a fourth on which lay a fragment of a bayonet. 

The regiment of the Hessian Ai-my in the war of Independence, 
whose presence on the hillside the discoveries so far described 
began to determine, was one of a particularly interesting and 
picturesque character, inasmuch as it was the most important con- 
tribution to the Hessian contingent, being the personal body-guard 
of the Landgraf of Hesse Cassel. The regiment was known under 
a most unusuiil and confusing variety of names, and is referred to 
in contemporary records in bait' a dozen ditVerent terms. Its true 
title was the J^eib Regiment, signifying the liegiment of l^ife 
Guards, but it was alternatively described as the CJarde-du-C'orps, 
as the Infantry Regiment of the Landgraf, as the Body Infantry. 
as the Regiment Du Corps, and as the Landgraf's Body Guard. 
It is also referred to merely as The Infantry Regiment, and finally 
after its surrender at Yorktowm, the displeasure of the Landgraf 
was exhibited in the change of its name to the Erb Prinz or Crown 
Prince's regiment, in place of that of another corps previously 
known liy that name. 

This interesting military organization arrived in Xew York 
among the first shipments of the Hessian division, on the 15th of 
August, 177(J. at which time it was recorded that it was composed 
of 663 men. This reduced number was due to the contribution 
of two companies of the regiment to the corps of grenadiers, which 
had been formed into the first of the grenadier battalion, and 
was known as the Battalion von Linsengen, from the name of its 
commander. Lieutenant Colonel Otto Christ W. von Linseng, who 
was an ofticer of the Leil> regiment. The titular Colonel or 
complimentary chief of the regiment was General von Lossberg, 

134 



The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 



l)ut its acting Colonel during the whole of the war was von Wnrmb, 
who was only replaced in command by Colonel Linseng after tlie 
surrender at Yorktowu, when the change of name of the regiment 
took effect. 

The Leib regiment took an active part in many of the events of 
the Revolution, such as the Pennsylvania campaign, the Newport 
and Springfield expeditions, but for a considerable period of time 
was doing garrison duty in or near New York City. Several 
references to the regiment appear in the diary kept by von KrafFt 
as to their presence in camp on Washington Heights, which 
extended over the years 1778 to 1781, indicating the presence of 
all or part of the Leib regiment on the Heights nt intervals during 
that period. 

As the Hessiaii regiments, in spite of the elaborate details of 
their unifonns and accoutrements, lacked the distinctive numbered 
buttons which characterize and identify the British regiments, it 
has always been difficult to determine the actual regimental char- 
acter of the military objects around presmnable Hessian sites 
or camps. A very careful study of the diary of von Kraift, and 
particularly of the drawing showing the camps upon the heights 
in the year 1779, led to the conclusion that the probable position 
of the camp of the Leib regiment was the hill in the vicinity of 
Uyckmau Street. The somewhat distorted drawing of the Hessian 
Sergeant showed, in the view of the valley taken, as he states, from 
the summit of " Laurel " or Fort George Hill, a group of huts 
upon the side of a small eminence which he places in line with 
the base of Tnwood Hill. 

A careful study of the topography showed that this eminence 
was probably that which is locally known as the Knoll. Along the 
east side of Broadway as it winds around the base of the southerly 
end of Mount Washington, at the point where Fort Washington 
Avenue and Sherman Avenue meet the one-time King's Bridge 
Eoad, this ridge of high ground extends as far as Dyckman Street. 
At its southerly end was constructed many years ago the little 

135 



Relics of the Revolution 



old gas works which long supplied the village of Tubby Hook. On 
its sloping southeasterly face, the Knoll presented evidently 
desirable features for a military encampment, protected from the 
westerly winds, and sloping down towards running water at its 
base. 

At the time of the War of Independence, it is probable that the 
high road, which in later years occupied the present line of Broad- 
way, ran around the Kuoll upon its southerly side, some slight 
traces of grading for this purpose being observable along the hill- 
side. The whole surface had been, until recent times, under 
cultivation by the Dycknians and their successors. Just prior to 
the Revolution it had formed a part of the area of the Kortright 
farm, the old dwelling of which family was recently located by 
its ruined foundations, immediately to the east of the Knoll, at 
the southeast intersection of Sherman Avenue and Arden Street. 

From time to time the plow had disturbed some small traces of 
military character, such as shot and bullets, but not even the oldest 
inhabitant of the Dyckman Valley had retained any tradition of 
the fact that this entire hill-side once bristled with military life, 
and that below the surface was still deeply buried the rows of 
hut floors once occupied by the Hessian soldiery. 

The study of von Krafft's drawing shows that the character 
of the camp assumed to have existed at this point, was one of 
huts, and consideration of this fact led to the conclusion that these 
were probably the huts constructed as indicated by those already 
discovered. 

By carefully measuring the huts so far found, it was observed 
that that portion of the floor which extends near the surface of 
the hill-side had been broken by the plow or the frost, and the 
bard portion only remained at a d{>ptb which exceeded the length 
of the sounding-rod. As soon as this was discovered, the practice 
was adopted of digging a small trial hole and inserting the 
sounding-rod at that point. The result was immediately successful 
and several most interestJTig huts were discovered which deter- 

13G 



The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 



mined the existence of three rows of huts extending across the 
hillside. 

A systematic numbering and measuring of the sites was under- 
taken and as soon as this method was adopted, the discoveries 
became more rapid and others were found with less difficultj 
by setting oft' fixed distances between the supposed sites. This 
distance eventually developed liy comparison into an approximate 
center of 22 feet in each direction between the huts, which has 
been found to hold good with a number of those which have been 
excavated, but has shown some curious discrepancies in other 
instances. 

At some points in which, by the order of the other huts, it would 
naturally be supposed that a hut would be found, none was trace- 
able, so it is presumable that some other use was made of the space 
or a tent was erected which has left no traces of its one-time 
existence. 

Some of the huts were almost destitute of any signs of human 
occupation other than the hard black floor, but all had the fireplace 
of stones, each with the ashes and pot-hook at the deep end of each 
excavation. 

The third and upper row of huts was next sought and found. 

At the south end of the Knoll, the decrepit remains of an ancient 
apple tree still clung to the hill-side, and although almost entirely 
decayed, managed to put forth a few leaves and bear some fruit, 
decreasing with every season. On the theory that this highest part 
presented a desirable place for officers" residence, a hole was sunk 
near the roots of this tree. The steel rod, run do^\Ti in this hole 
reached low enough l)elow the sods to give an indication of a floor 
at an unusual depth. Witii much effort the soil was removed 
and the floor was reached and cleared up to the fireplace. The 
latter was of crude construction, and around it lay glass and china- 
ware in many fragments, and the hoops of barrels which at one 
time had perhaps formed its rude chimney. Immediately to the 
west side of this hearth, a quantity of leaden musket bullets were 

137 



Relics of the Revolution 



found scattered upon the floor. With these was a quantity of used 
and spent bullets, some of which bore marks of their contact with 
stone and woodwork, and some had been cut or sliced with a knife, 
evidently for the purpose of remolding as they lay close to frag- 
ments of lead slag. 

It is strange that the occupant of the hut who had taken all the 
trouble to collect these bullets, and in part to prepare them for 
molding, should have abandoned the material on the floor of his 
hut when he left it, but the fact may indicate the haste and dis- 
order of regimental departures. 

The work of locating and excavating these huts proceeded through 
the entire winter season of 1912-13, during which the extraordin- 
ary alisence of frost permitted such digging to lie carried on. The 
work located dtlicr huts along the crest of the hill. In nno of these 
was a diess ornament of silver thread wound around a core, form- 
ing a silver rosette. In the next hut along this line, the indica- 
tions of the presence of ofticers were distinct. The hut was on 
the margin of the southerly side of the excavation of Arden Street, 
high up on the hillock, and was unusually large, being at least 
twelve feet square. Upon tiie beaten floor was a well constructed 
fireplace and part of the charred liack logs were still lying npon 
it. Accompanying the usual pot-liooks was found a fine bayonet 
whicli was standing upright alongside the fireplace and the socket 
of which bore the traces of a wrapping of coarsely-woven material 
siich as a blanket which had probably been applied when it was 
used in the fire. 

A pewter button of the 6th Regiment of Foot of the British 
army, since known as the Royal Warwickshire, was found in one 
of these huts. This regiment was in New York for only a brief 
space, recuperating from disease incurred in the West Indies, and 
it sailed for England in 1777, so that the button indicates a use 
of the site at the early part of the war. 

Other buttons of the same character having been found at 181st 
Street, it is clear that the corps was at one time in this vicinity. 



138 



The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 



aud no doubt some of its members were at one time or other 
quartered either in the Hessian huts or on the site. 

Some of the clay pipes of the soldiers were found, the stem of 
one of which bore tlie inscription " W. ^lorgan, Liveriwol," corre- 
sponding with the initials W. ]\r. found on a bowl of a pipe in 
one of the huts. This pipe also indicates the presence of British 
soldiers, being a pipe of English niannfacture. 

Among- the more interesting objects disclosed from time to time 
was a complete iron canteen which had been covered with tin; this 





A Hessian Canteen and Pipkin 



frail object owed its preservation to the fact that its position was 
upside down and its interior was therefore free from moisture. 
It is the only specimen of its kind that has lieen secured in a 
complete form, though many others have been found in a broken 
condition. The iron canteen was Hessian, the British being pro- 
vided with canteens of wood. 

Some of the huts were doubtless occupied by soldiers engaged 
in the sutler's service such as the camp cooking. In one hut was 
an imusual number of meat bones, and a very long pot-hook, which 
must have been extended up to some support as high as the surface 

139 



Relics of the Revolution 



of the grouud. Alongside another lay the iron parts of a small 
Avheel, ajDparently that of a small gun carriage. 

The result of these excavations up to the Spring of 191i5 
demonstrated the arrangement of these huts in three rows, the 
lower being approximately "22 feet apart in both directions, and the 
upper row on the crest of the hill, a somewhat greater distance 
apart. The arrangement would be a natural one, for the officers 
would undoubtedly be resident in the upper huts, of which there 
would be a less nundier. it is more than probable that the debris 
of this large encampment was carried down to the lower part of 
the hill where the little brooklet ran, and there buried. Unfortun- 
ately, the construction of Sherman Avenue and other fillings have 
precluded any probability of the discovery of such deposits. 

Twenty-three huts in all were uncovered and explored, and their 
character sufficiently determined to warrant the statement that 
this camp was that constructed and occupied during the Kevolu- 
tionary War by the Hessian Leii) Ivegiment, and probably at times 
by other corps. The interesting similitude of construction of the 
fireplaces in these liuts, and the probability of their early destruc- 
tion l)y building operations, decided the removal of one of the 
fireplaces for the purpose of re-erecting it at the Washington's 
Headquarters. 

The fireplace selected was that which was known as !No. 10, 
which was first photographed and measured. The stones were then 
marked and carefully removed and replaced in position upon the 
hearth of the Guard Eoom in the Headquarters House, and in and 
around it were placed some of the crude implements which were 
found in these huts, such as the fire tongs, broiler and pot-hooks 
nuide from barrel hoops. 

The area which the discoveries defined as the camp was up to 
the time of the Eevolution the farm of the Kortright family, and 
an effort was made to find the site of their old home which might 
naturally be expected to have been occupied by the soldiery camped 
so near at hand. 

UO 



The Camp of the Hessian Body Guard 



Some years before the camp debris was found at Ardeii Street, 
a considerable amount of household debris was disturbed, lying 
below the sod and around the rocks in the vicinity of some old 
apple trees between Sherman and N^agel A\-enues, which indicated 
a long occupation of the neighborhood by Colonial residents. The 
debris consisted of masses of oyster and clam shells of large size, 
and considerable numbers of old-fashioned forged nails, with some 
coarse crockery and pipe stems. Some hundreds of nails in good 
condition were preser\ed, and a search was made all around the 
place, resulting iu the discovery of the stone walls of a small 
l)uilding, probably a farm cottage, on the south side of the street, 
exactly in line with the east sidewalk of Post Avenne, if extended. 
Hard by this little cellar were traces of military fireplaces, without 
any special indication of their occupants. One such place con- 
tained a complete rum bottle, an excellent specimen of the squat 
pattern occasionally found on the camp sites. 

In the month of April, 1912, W. L. Calver, W. Macdouald and 
the writer made a search over the vacant ground near these 
remains for the old residence of Sebastian Kortright, and were 
rewarded by finding debris near Sherman Avenue, which upon 
further excavation by the Brothers Spier determined the j)osition 
of the dwelling. The tract of meadow land just above the marshes 
through which iJyckman Street was constructed, and numbered 
20 in the allotment of the farm lands of JS'ew Harlem, in the year 
of gi'ace, 1691, consisted of 10 morgen " by the Bound Meadow," 
which was drawn by Peter Xim Oblienis, who ten years later sold 
the property to Bastiaen IMichelsen, usually kno\vn as Van Kort- 
right, a name derived from his grandfather's native place, 
Kortryk, in Flanders. On this tract Kortright settled, probably 
building a dwelling very soon after that date on the site discovered, 
and lived thereon, witli his wife, Jolante !Montagne, until his death 
about 175.3. The farm included the nnirsh land which extended 
along its northerly side, traces of which until very recently existed, 
and in which a cliannel was probalily dredged out to alford access 

141 



Relics of the Revolution 



by water to Shemiaii Creek on tbe Harlem Ri\er. After his de- 
cease, his widow and sons continued on the farm. 

But his son Johannes, who was a weaver by trade, mortgaged 
the property in 1708, and died in 1775, just before the advent of 
the armies of the Tfevolntion in liis neigldiorliood. His son, John 
Courtright, as he spelled the vacillating family name, was there- 
fore in possession of the farm at that time, when, as we now learn, 
the dwelling was invaded by the soldiery. 

The largest sizes of oyster and clam shells, togetliei- with their 
abundant quantity, indicate the staple food of the family. These 
lie scattered over a half acre of ground extending across Arden 
Street back of the house, which faced as usual due south with its 
chimney and hearth at the east end. Scattered fragments of coarse 
pottery, with scarce scraps of hetter chinaware told of the house- 
hold equipment, and the few plain buttons found may have come 
fi'om their personal attire. V>\\t a round shot and bullets spoke 
clearly of the soldiers occupying the house, and the presence of a 
fireplace of rough stones in the southeast angle of the foundation, 
close to wliicb a bayonet stood upright in the soil, indicated that 
the house bad been destroyed and its fragmentary remains utilized 
as a military shelter. 

No trace of the building uppoars on the British maps, and it 
may reasonably be concluded that it was destroyed some time 
during the defense or occupation of the Heights. The poverty 
of the family is indicated, not only by the circumstances of the 
mortgage, hut by the character of the objects found, which were 
all of crude and lunuble character. 

The farm was sold to Jacobus Uyckman in 17S0 and all trace 
of the old dwelling was lost to record and to sight until the spade 
and fork of the modern e.xplorer exposed the remnants of the stone 
walls, and the base of the chimney and hearthstones, around which 
once gathered Bastiaen and his little family. 



142 



XIV 

THE HUT CAMP OF^THE SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT 

OF FOOT 

This extensive and much occupied camp was one of the first 
discovered and as early as 1890 by Mr. W. L. Calver. At that 
date the district on the westerly side of the King's Uridge Koad, 
which later became known as Broadway, and north of Dyckman 
Street was entirely undeveloped, and the area of the camp about 
the intersection of the present Academy Street and Prescott 
Avenue, under the shelter of the east side of Inwood Hill, was 
covered with fields and orchards. Although occupied by other 
corps, the site has been generally referred to as that of the Seven- 
teenth Regiment, not only on account of the fact that buttons of 
that corps in larger numbers than those of other regiments have 
been found there, but because the place is designated as the 
'' Camp of the Seventeenth regiment which had been taken 
prisoners,"' in the view of the northern end of Manhattan Island, 
as it appeared in 1779, drawn by the Hessian officer, von Krafft, 
Avho later referred in his diary to huts existing there. (See pages 
47-48.) 

But the fact that buttons of other regiments which returned to 
England as early as 1777 were also found on Prescott Avenue 
makes it certain that a camp existed there almost as soon as the 
British took possession of Fort Washington. Thus the discovery 
of buttons of the 6th Regiment of Foot at this and other places on 
the island is remarkable, in view of the fact that the regiment 
was in New York a very short time, perhaps only a few months; 
for after its service in the West Indies, it was found too unhealthy 
for active duty and returned to England in 1777. 

Every desirable natiu-al feature was present in the jjosition 
chosen for this regimental camp. The features had, ages before 
its occupation by the troops, appealed to the aborigines, who had 

143 



Relics of the Revolution 



made use of it as a village site; probably the principal head- 
quarters in the winter season, of the Wickquaskeek clan. It thus 
comes about that the remains of the Indian tribe and of the 
British troops are found closely associated over this area, and the 
camp lire pits of the soldiery are sunk in the shell beds left by 
their predecessors, while over the surface the Hint arrowhead of 
the red man may be fdiiud alongside the bullet of the trooper.* 
The soil is sand, drifted down from the hillside in bygone ages, 
deep enough to afford shelter to the dead of the aborigines, and to 
offer ready means for the construction of the dug-out winter huts 
of the soldiery. 'J'he ground was sutiiciently elevated to insure 
good drainage, and level enough in places to siiit the pitching of 
tents, while the Cock llill provided an effective shield from the 
wintry western blasts. The battery thereon protected the con- 
venient landing place at Tubby Hook, and the brooks fed by 
springs Avhicli broke from the hill at the corner of West 204th 
Street and Seaman Avenue ran north and south and provided for 
the watering of the soldier and liis mount, as long ages ago they 
had done for the Indian and his dog. Such a source of water 
was required for a camp so extensive as this evidently was, 
particularly at the time when cavalry, stich as the Seventeenth 
Light Dragoons, were quartered there. As for the military occu- 
pants of this camp, the most careless observer would conclude that 
they imlnbed profusely of other liipiids than spring water. The 
countless fragments of old black bottles that bestrew the field 
tell their own story. A few complete specimens of these wine 
and rum liottles have been recovered, and are at once the largest 
and frailest of the relics that have survived. 

The presence of buttons of the 52d regiment on the Prescott 
Avenue camp site also indicates that the camp site was used by 
that corps prior to the advent of the I7th Foot. Von Krafft refers 
only once to the r)2d, as being encamped '' at King's Bridge," 

" It was in tlie searoli for aboriginal objects that relics of military character 
were found on the surface and led to tlie identification of the camping 
ground. 



144 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

August 7th, 1778, which was before the 17th took possession; and 
the 52d returned to Europe during that year. Several buttons 
of the 52d have been found in the Fort George camp at 193d 
Street and Eleventh Avenue, but at uo other place which could be 
described as King's Bridge. Some of the buttons found on the 
Prescott Avenue camp site are shown on page 165. 

The records of the I7th Regiment state that the regiment was 
stationed in New York, after its return from Philadelphia, in 
the latter part of June, 1778, so that the huts which they con- 
structed were probably erected in the autumn of that year, and 
were doubtless for the purpose of occupation during the winter 
of 1778 to 1779. 

After wintering at Inwood the regiment removed to Stony 
Point, and its position was surprised and taken by the American 
troops under General Wayne at midnight on July 15th, when tlie 
entire force of the 17th Regiment, together with the grenadier 
company of the 7lst Regiment, a company of the regiment of 
" Royal Americans "' and a detachment of artillery were all taken 
prisoners, and the 17th lost its regimental colors. 

Upon the area in and around this camp buttons of the 
Seventy-first Regiment have been found. It is known that llie 
Seventy-first was frequently associated or brigaded with the Seven- 
teenth Foot, as evidenced by their presence together at Stony Point, 
and again at Yorktown where both regiments surrendered. 

The regimental buttons of the Seventeenth Foot, found in the 
Seventeenth camp at Inwood, are of four kinds — two varieties 
for the private soldiers and two for the officers. The privates' 
buttons are made of pewter and have the usual iron shanks cast 
into the white metal. Some specimens have the regimental num- 
ber " 17 " in figures raised upon their face, enclosed in a border 
design of a raised cord or rope, but the larger number found have 
the numerical designation incised or depressed into the face and 
the face of the buttons stand somewhat higher than the milled 
border. Other buttons of the regiment have been found in several 



145 



Relics of the Revolution 



of the camp sites, one, for instance, having been picked up by ilr. 
Saville of the American Museum of Natural History in the British 
camp at 201st Street and Nintli Avenue, directly east of the camp 
here described. 

The officers" buttons of the Seventeenth Regiment which ha\e 
been found in the Seventeenth camp as well as others found in 
Fort No. IV, opiX)site King's Bridge on Fordham Heights, are 
made in two pieces, the backs of the buttons being of a tine quality 
of bone or ivory, and the faces of thin repousse silver bearing a 
unique octagonal design, with the regimental number in small 
figures within a circle in the centre. Such officers' buttons were 
pro\ided with loops of stout cord or gut, which were passed through 
four perforations in the bone or ivory backs, by which they were 
secured to the garments; and those which liave been found were no 
doulit lost by some injury to these loops. Another type is a fiat 
copper button, silver plated, of precisely the same design as those 
just described, one of which was found in a hut site on this camp 
and another was found in Fishkill village, and may be supposed 
to have been brought there by some American soldier, possibly 
one of those who had been at Yorktown, where the Seventeenth 
surrendered with the army of Gornwallis, October 19th, 1781. 

The officers' buttons of the I7th are described in the Inspection 
returns of the period as being of silver on the occasion when the 
regiment was inspected at Cork, September, 1775, prior to its 
departure for America. 

The Tinfortunate 17th Regiment surrendered for the second time 
at Yorktown two hundred and forty-five men and the regiment 
returned to New York in January, 1783, and on August 19, were 
ordered to hold themselves in readiness to sail for Nova Scotia. 
The 17th was thereafter stationed in Nova Scotia and Newfound- 
land during 1784 and 1785, and sailed for England in 178C, where 
they arrived in August of that year. It was in 1782 that the 
regiment assumed the territorial title of the " Seventeentli or 
Leicestershire Regiment." 



146 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

After }iis reconnoitre in person on the New Jersey shore on July 
18, 1781, Washington made this entry in his journal, after noting 
other camps : " The other and only remaining encampment in 
view discoverable from the west side of the ri\er is between the 
Barrier and King's Bridge, in the hollow between L'ox Hill and 
Ihe heights below. One hundred tents could be counted in view at 
the same time, and others uiigiit be hid by the hills. At this place 
it is said the Yagers, Hessians and Auspachs lay.'' 

In addition to those of the 17th, buttons of a uumlier of other 
British corps have been found in the camp — • those of the 6th, 7th, 
10th, 14th, 28th, 35th, 38th, 45th, 47th, 52ud, 57th, 71st and 80th 
regiments of foot; also of the New York Volunteers and the l7th 
Light Dragoons. 

The departure of the Gth and 14th regiments from these shores 
in 1777 has already been noted. The 7th Begiment, or Boyal 
Fusiliers, a bronze belt-plate of which corps was found at the 
barrack site at Fort Washington, had an unusual amount of ill 
fortune during its service in America, which covered the entire 
period of the Revolution. In the autumn of 1775, by the sur- 
render of the garrisons of Fort Chambly and St. John, nearly the 
whole of the corjys was captured. In the autumn of 177G, the 
men of the Seventh ha\'ing been exchanged, the regiment was 
reorganized in New York, and was quartered for the winter at 
Amboy, and afterwards at Staten Island. 

The earliest information we have of the 7th regiment being 
encamped anywhere near the northern portion of ^lanhattan 
Island, is the entry in von Kratt't's journal, September 8, 1779, 
when he says that the 7th and 23d Foot, which had been encamped 
on Spuyten Uuyvil Hill, departed by ship to New York. In the 
southern campaign the unlucky 7th lost its colors at C'owpens and 
again returned to New ^'ork August 7, 1782, only to l)e sent back 
to England in 1783. 

Only one button of the 57th Begiment has been found in the 
17th camp, and this specimen sheds little light on the history of 



147 



Relics of the Revolution 



the camp because the 57th was in America from 1776 to 1782, 
and much of its service hiy in New York and the immediate 
vicinity. Its buttons are found at almost every camp site on tlie 
Heights. 

No information is availalih> as to when the 3r)th regiment 
occupied the I7th Regiment camp. Only one of its buttons was 
found but several other specimens were discovered at Fort Wash- 
ington and others on the supposed site of the Tent ('amp at Xagel 
Avenue and Broadway. 

Von Kratft refers several times to the camping place of the 
Thirty-eighth regiment, but none of the localities designated 
appear to fit the I7th camp site. All are apparently further south. 

The 45th regiment, two buttons of which were found on this 
camp site, left the United States in 1778, and must therefore have 
been one of the corps encamped here prior to that date. 

On July 26, 1779, von Krafft says that the Landgraf's or 
Wiitgenau regiment of Hessians were quartered in the " Huts of 
the captured I7th Foot," and on .Inly :;i, he notes that "The 
Landgraf's regiment had to make room in the camp of the captured 
Seventeenth for Lord Ilawdon's corps, and pitch their tents at 
Charles redoubt" on JMarblc Hill. 

No buttons positively known to be Hessian have been found in 
the I7th regiment camp, but several varieties of pewter buttons 
of plain form, which have been found in this and other camps, 
may be confidently attributed to the presence of the German troops. 
To this day the German regiments bear no numliers upon their 
buttons. 

In this connection, von Krafi"t says June 18, 1781, "The Hessian 
Yagers arrived here today from Long Island, and went into camp 
below Cox Hill, at the place where the huts of the former 17tli 
English regiment had been, and they received tents from the Land- 
grave regiment and ours, because they could get no bushes or wood 
around there to build huts with." 



148 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

Then on September 9, 1781, von Krafft made this entry con- 
cerning the Yagers in the same camp: "This morning the 
remaining mounted Yagers with the horses of those who had been 
taken for the last fleet (and had been obliged to leave their horses 
behind) took possession of the tent camp at Morris House, but the 
remaining Hessian Yagers remained in camp below Cox Hill." 

Von Kratft mentioned tlie 80th Regiment twice in his journal, 
December 3rd and 11th, 1780, and says they were encamped on 
the north end of the island, but the exact place is not stated. A 
very critical reading of the journal seems, however, to establish 
the place as this cainp, foi- a prior entry records the fact that the 
80th was encajnpcd '• at King's Bridge " October 24, 1780. 

We have no record of the New York Volunteers being in the 
old camp of the 17t!i regiment, but this Loyalist corps was in 
New York during the summer of 1778, and also during the winter 
of 1770-80. One button only of the New York Volunteers was 
found in the 17th camp; two other specimens, one of which was an 
officer's button, were found at Fort George. 

It is interesting to observe how the several discoveries around 
this large camp have confirmed the historical facts as above re- 
corded. On the grading of Prescott Avenue, some fifteen years 
ago, immediately north of Reiflf's cottage, the workmen disturbed 
several ovens or fireplaces, and the stump of what was thought to 
have been a flag staff. Mr. Calver's frequent discovery of buttons 
of the 17th along the line of the Avenue had led to the suppositioTi 
that the huts must have been in that inunediate vicinity. In 
August, 1905, a young resident, Arthur Kennedy, saw at the side 
of the Avenue some brickwork, at which he dug and disclosed part 
of a fireplace, which was then carefully excavated and found to 
be one of those that had existed in one of the military huts. It 
was composed of various kinds of brick, yellow and red, Dutch 
and Colonial, with a hearth laid in half bricks, and a large number 
of loose bricks had evidently composed the chimney. It faced 
south by east. Upon the floor and around the hearth lay three 

110 



Relics of the Revolution 



good specimens of pot or kettle hooks, parts of bottles, cut glass 
wine glass, fragments of iron kettle, part of a fry-pan, ashes, char- 
coal and meat bones. At the north angle lay the bowl of a clay 
tobacco pipe, bearing the trade-mark '' T. D.," the tirst of that 
maunfacture definitely associated with the lievolutionary period. 
Close to this was a musket bullet, and two buttons of the I7th 
regiment fixed the character of the place as one of their huts. 
From the vicinity, ^Ir. Howard Carlson and other residents have 
taken many olrjects of military character, among which are British 
copper coins, gun-fliiits and buckles. ^Ir. Calver found the basket 
guard of a sword and the lock of a pistol hard by, and doubtless 
other materials may come to light when further disturbance of the 
hillside is made for public improvements. 

Further away in 1909 a search among the rocks some distance 
south of Reitf's cottage was rewarded by locating an occupied site 
on a large flat rock, below which debris of various kinds had been 
thi'own. Among the customary waste materials we found a pair 
of the ice-creepers of which another sample was discovered in the 
vicinity, indicating that such appliances were in use among the 
soldiery in the winter. A .small solid shot lay in a crevice, and 
much broken china and some excellent Chinese porcelain lay 
scattered over the rocks, which were thickly overgrown with poison 
ivy, a weed which fortunately has no terrors for some of the 
explorers. 

Another part of the area of the camp on the line of Seaman 
.\venue was the site of the Indian Village to which reference has 
been previously made. On the east side and extending to Cooper 
Sti'eet there was a truck garden which after the spring rains was a 
fertile place in which to find Indian and military objects. Here 
]\[r. Calver picked up a fine bronze bonnet badge of the 7lst High- 
land Iiegiment of foot, of which only one other is known to exist, 
having been found at Ticonderoga. Here the spade had mingled 
the broken pottery, rejects an<l artifacts of the aborigines with the 
broken pipes, the buckles and gun-flints of the soldiery of the 

150 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

Eevohition. Below tlie soil was later found the first local Indian 
human bnrial, carefully packed around with oyster shells, 
and more than a dozen shell pits containing the remains of dogs 
and sturgeon were scattered o\'er the area. But the strangest 
association was to come. In 1908, upon the cutting through of 
Seaman Avenue, the burnt earth at a spot on the west hank dis- 
closed the e.xistence of a camp fire pit. This was carefully cleared, 
and among its usual accompaniments were two unusual objects, one 
a silver button of an officer of the Royal ilarines, and the other a 
human toe bone ! The j)resence of the latter was accounted for 




Bonnet DcuIkc of Fraser's HiKlilandiTS 



when further digging to the soiitii disclosed the remains of two 
Indians, a male and a fenudc, buried together in a shallow grave, 
part of which had been disturbed by the fire-pit of the Marine 
officer. Later seai'ch brought to light other of the foot bones of the 
male skeleton on the other side of the fireplace. One wonders if 
the revelry of the commissioned intruders were enlivened by the 
spirits of the disturbed couple. 

The discovery in 1913 of the officer's hut at Fort Washington 
afforded indications which led to a further attempt at locating hut 
sites in the neighborhood of Prescott Avenue, where for years 
past numerous surface finds of military objects had been made. 

151 



Relics of the Revolution 



The knowledge gained as to the construction of dug-out huts in 
the camp of the Body Eegiment also indicated that by better 
direction a search for similar huts of the iTth Foot might be better 
rewarded than in the past. 

Tlie well-made brick fireplace which was found and photo- 
graphed July 30, 1905, w'as now thought to have been part of the 
construction of an officer's hut, in the light of the experience with 
the Fort Washington hut. And the relative arrangement of officers' 
and private dwellings in the Body Regiment Camp showed that 
this hut probably lay above the site of the soldiers' dugouts. A 
searching party was organized and a visit made to Prescott Avenue. 
It was thought that a dump of rubbish might probably be found 
below the site of the fireplace in a relation similar to that found at 
Fort Washington. If so, its position would probably be just east 
of Prescott Avenue, the narrow, rough roadway of which cut across 
the site of the hut. It was found that a wash-out had carried 
away a considerable amount of the soil on one side of the road 
exposing some signs of dark soil near the hut site. Active labor 
soon brought to light a number of objects of a military character, 
such as bullets, ironwork, pot-hooks and nails, bones, broken glass 
and china, the latter of colonial nu^uufacture. The hot day's 
work was well rewarded with a button of the 17th and one of the 
57th regiment. The appearances indicated that in the construc- 
tion of tlie road the upper part of this rubbish deposit had been 
disturbed, and it may be inferred that some of the military objects 
found from time to time on the roadway came from this place. 

Two weeks later, the occurrence of the superstitious number of 
the 13th da\ of the month led to remarks as to the improbability 
of any luck, but the day proved one of the most fortunate of the 
season. While some of the party were clearing up the remains of 
the dump found previously, Mr. Calver started a few trial holes 
opposite the one-time fireplace, the position of which he first 
located. The ground was so dry that the sounding rod was of 
little service, so small holes were sunk with the spade and the 

152 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

output carefully examined. About 20 feet south of the hut site 
at a depth of a couple of feet some wood ashes were found — the 
undoubted sign of the dump for which search was being made. 

A deep trench was cut outwards from this point and afforded 
the means of careful undercutting of the deposit. It was fortunate 
that this was done for the place proved to be rich in material, and 
all the good soil was passed through the sifter. 

A little work brought to light a nmnber of military buttons, 
chiefly those of the I7th regiment, followed by an excellent sample 
of the 28th foot and a fine U. S. A. or Continental army button, 
which was hailed with great satisfaction. These were all pewter 
buttons, but the belief that this deposit was connected with the 
presence of officers was confirmed when a fine bronze badge was 
found. It lay face downward and at first sight presented the ap- 
pearance of a familiar shoe buckle, but when carefully loosened it 
proved to be a bron/.e badge, about 31,/. inches in length, bearing 
the royal initials " (i. E." surmounted by a crown. At the back 
it had four eyelets and there still remained some fragments of 
canvas to which it had been evidently secured. This material led 
Mr. John Ward Duusmore, who aided in the work of exploration, 
to pronounce it, as it proved to be, the badge on a sabre-tache or 
canvas pouch usually carried by the Guards, and was attached to 
the sword belt. Lt. Colonel Lovett, of the present 2Sth Regiment, 
in correspondence at a later date, states that such ornaments were 
worn only by officers of the Guards. (See page 127.) 

The day's finds included a number of more familiar objects 
including a handsome silver-plated shoe-buckle, several " ice- 
creepers " which were found close together with the now customary 
accompaniments of bullets, bayonet-scabbard hooks mixed with the 
debris of china, glass, bones, and a considerable quantity of mussel 
shells. 

These were followed the succeeding Sunday by further rewards. 
The spoil consisted of about 15 buttons, including one of the 57th 

153 



Relics of the Revolution 



Foot, iiud four silver buttons, those of oflRcers, of the I7th Kegi- 
luent, thus establishing the suspected nature of the hut site. 

An oval silver sleeve link with gilded face, was a further indi- 
cation. Two more ice-creepers and a skate added evidence of 
occupation during the winter of 1778-9. A bottle, complete ex- 
cept the beaded mouthpiece, was one that had seen service no 
doubt in the same connection, as probably did a very pretty cream- 
ware tea-cup, whicli was afterward nearly completely restored. 
A bronze half-penny of George III of the year 177G brought the 
date of occupation still closer. 

It remains a matter of conjecture whether the buttons of the 
Continental soldiers were borne by a captive in the camp. They 
were not the first found in the neighborhood, but the number here 
discovered points to some contintied condition, and their associa- 
tion with the British buttons seems to point rather clearly to that 
theory of their presence. 

Later on. tlio party completed the work of excavation and some- 
what to their surprise discovered that the deposit had been accumu- 
lated witliin an abandoned dug-out hut, the floor of which was of 
compact earth extending below the debris, on the surface of which 
floor more buttons and olijects were found. Among the former 
were those nf some corps not previously discovered, such as tho 
lOtli and the J4tli in rather jwor condition. 'J'hese were accom- 
l)anied by others of the U. S. A., and one of the 71st Highlanders. 
A shoe-buckle, more bullets, a whole pipe bowl of plain pattern, a 
pocket knife and a sheet-iron pail lay among the debris with barrel 
hoops within which lay a mass of white clay, which was recognized 
as the substitute for pipe clay, to which von Kraii't refers as hav- 
ing been brought from Newtown, Long Island, " for whitening " 
in A])ril 1781. This hut site was reopened in 1914 and the fire- 
place was found. It consisted only of a few small stones and much 
wood ash. Only a button or two of the l7th was added to the 
collection from this hut. 



ir.-t 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Fool 

The locating of this refuse deposit in the vicinity of the hut, 
with the officers' debris it contained, indicates that a hut which 
had been abandoned bv the connnon sokliery was used for the 
purpose. The nundicr of regimental buttons found in one such 
position may be due to the employment of private soldiers as 
orderlies in attendance on some ofKcer of high rank. But reference 
to the records of the several regiments shows that their occupa- 
tion was prol>al)ly consecutive. Thus the 14th was most likely the 
tirst to be at this place, for the regiment was in Xew York in 177G, 
but left for Europe in 1777. The 10th regiment also left Xew 
York for England in October 1778, and the 38th embarked for 
Barhadoes on the 4th of Xovember, 1778. 

Following these departures which place the presence of these 
three regiments at Inwood prior to the end of 1778, we found 
that the I7th came to New York in 1778 and constructed huts in 
this hill prior to the capture nf tlie Regiment at Stony Point on 
l.'i-lfi .Tuly, 177!I. As tents were not used for winter residence, it 
follows that these hal)itations were made in the Fall or early winter 
of 1778. After the capture the regiment was reformed out 
of exchanged men and perhaps was re-uniformed with clothing 
having buttons of somewhat different pattern, of which specimens 
are found on this site, upon which they may have been quartered 
temporarily. The Corps left New York again in 1780 and wound 
up their share of misfortune by recapture at Yorktown in 1781. 
The 71st Highland Ivegiment was more or less associated with the 
1 7th both at Stony Point and at Yorktown, and here their buttons 
are also found together. 

The 57th Regiment was in and around New York during most 
of the War of Independence. 'J'he predominance of the I7th how- 
ever indicates their special occupation of the place. The 14th 
Regiment left New York in the year 1777, and the button affords 
a limit to that occupation. In general the finds confirm the state- 
ments of von Krafft, and have added a valuable chapter to the 
record of the Revolution on Washington Heights. 

155 



Relics of the Revolution 



111 confirmation of tliis conclusion, the discovery of another hut, 
near by, may be mentioned. Some sand had been dug out on the 
side of the " Avenue " ahnost exactly opposite Rieff's cottage. 
This part of the road had been over-run by sand washed down in 
lieavy rains, and it had been the idea that it was little use to exam- 
ine below the soil. The sand pit was only about a foot and a half 
deep, but this bared a little of the original sui-face, upon removing 
which, black soil was disclosed, and a little lower a number of old 
Colonial red l)ricks were found lying together. Stones lay below 
having the appearance of part of a fireplace. In cutting away the 
earth near this stone a fine silver button of the 17th Foot Regiment 
fell out which at once established the character of the place. At a 
depth of about 3 feet some bricks were found laid in a line, 
evidently part of a fioor, and on them lay a pot hook. The excava- 
tion was carried further north and disclosed a well-laid hearth, 
consisting of a large flat stone around the edge of which on three 
sides were red bricks set on edge, a new style of such work. The 
place was barren of results other than several small pot hooks and 
some broken bottles. It was a rather large hut, possibly a guard 
room, and from the large number of loose and broken brick around 
the middle of the floor sjsace, there may have been more of the 
floor bricked, or the fireplace may have been built with them. 

As these hut floors so far located along the cast side of I'rescott 
Avenue appeared to be part of a symmetrical arrangement, search 
was renewed in 1914, and " soundings '" were made at ditfcrent 
places along the line of the road. 

Tliere is a footpath up the steepest part of the hill which had 
worn away the soil, and the spring rains brought to light a few 
scraps of bottle-glass and bono, which indicated a likely site, though 
very far up the hill. 

A careful search with the steel rod disclosed some large stones 
ill the steep bank, and some hard work soon uncovered one of the 
finest fireijlaces yet discovered. It was at the northerly end of 
a hut floor which was composed of hard beaten sand and was 

156 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

about 12 feet in length, and of imdecided width as it extended 
under the roadway. Some of the familiar objects of military life 
came to hand, and the usual pot-hook was found close to the hearth, 
which was covered several inches deep with the ashes of its long 
extinguished fires. 

But a pewter button of the 17tli Foot soon established the char- 
acter of the place, and the fireplace was carefully cleared out 
preparatory to photographing it. It turned out to be of the usual 
tapered form 2'-6" wide at back, 3'-!1" wide at the mouth and 2' 
deep, evidently English measures. 

The hearth was of sand, the walls all of stone and only a few 
bricks were found. On the ash bed at one side was a ilat stone 
that might have been used as a '' hob "" which was lifted 
after a photograph had been taken, when a button of the 
14th Foot or Buckinghamshire Regiment was found, lying 
face upwards, underneath it. On working around the " ingle- 
neuk " of the fireplace a single shovelful of soil was trans- 
ferred to the sifter which contained three buttons, one of which 
was a fine pewter specimen of the 52nd Regiment. According 
to von Krafft, this regiment Avas at King's Bridge, as this place 
was called in a general way, in August, 1778, after which the 
corj)s, being greatly depleted, was sent home to England to recruit 
its numbers. So the three finds atl'orded quite definite information 
as to the time of occupation of the camp and placed the first con- 
struction a year earlier than the record of von Krafft had indicated. 
It seems more than probalile, therefore, that it was first occupied, 
and the huts perhaps begun by the American troops under Gen. 
Heath in the fall of 1776. 

The fireplace stood almost exactly in line with the two other 
sites located in 1913, and thus decided a line of the arrangement) 
of the huts. The only problem left was the distance apart of any 
intermediate huts. The steel rod soon located one likely spot near 
the roots of a small sumach tree, and a hole was dug in which 
ironwork and glass was found. It proved to be a poor place, yield- 
ing a bullet or two and an ice-creeper, but no military objects of 

157 



Relics of the Revolution 



special interest. But it led to better tilings, for measuinng its 
distance from the other sites, it indicated a probable space of 
25 to 30 feet between hut sites and on measuring oft' such spaces 
new places were found very promptly. The tirst turned out to be 
a sdi't of a dump, possibly a cess-pit. Xearly 5 feet below the 
surface were some fragments of good china, and at the lowest point 
lay a complete ramrod. This proNcd of much interest, as only one 
other complete rod had been found, that at the Arden Street camp. 
The new find was 37 inches long, and tiic thread or screw at one 
end was still traceable. This thread was used to secure the little 
" worm " or double screw which was used to extract a wad, or to 
hold some rag to clean the liore. Strange to say, the worm itseli 
was found in the next hut, which was located l)y measiwement in 
the same manner. This proved much more interesting, for the 
floor was very well preserved and extended alxiut I'l feet in length 
by some 6 feet in width. On the floor lay seven small silver 
buttons of the ITtli. and their siniihirity led to the conjecture that 
they must have been on a single garment. The sifter brought to 
light fragments of carbonized cloth and a piece of siher lace which 
confirmed this idea. When a pair of .shears, a thimble and a brass 
pin were discovered, we concluded that tlie Init had been used by 
the regimental tailor whose work had been hastily dropped, per- 
haps on account of the burning of the hut. Tnder the microscope, 
the cloth appeared to be of two weaves, one of which was distinctly 
a sort of braid. Its color, of course, had been changed to black, 
perhaps by fire. 'Jliere was no Krc^plaee to this liut. It perhaps 
existed under the roadway. 

The site of the tailor's hut was filled in and attention was 
tui'ued to the next opportunity. A distance was measured oft', of 
27 feet, and signs of human occupation were soon found at a 
depth of about three feet below the surface. These signs were 
chieHy broken bottles, the nund)er of which increased as the floor 
was reached, until quite a pile of fractured glass was accumulated. 
Thei'e was an unusiuil absence of personal objects, but at last 



158 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

one of a pair of bronze cuff-links was found, the design on which 
was very interesting, being a classical design with the head of a 
Persian monarch, promptly christened " Cambyses." 

Then an iron funnel was taken out, which, taken in connection 
witji the abundance of bottles, indicated that the place might have 
been used as the grog-shop or canteen of the regiment. The Iloor 
was not in very good condition and there was a quantity of charcoal 
in the soil above it, so that it was probably burnt down. Perhaps 
the grog accounted for the tire. 

After trying some other points along the line of discovered huts 
without success, we transferred attention to the ground lying below 
where we had an impression that a third line of huts might have 
been constructed at an ecjual distance apart. 

Some passes with the sounder around the large mulberry tree, 
beneath the welcome shade of which our frugal lunch had often 
been absorbed, indicated stones and shells below the soil. A hole 
sunk at a point about 35 feet east by south of the line of huts 
soon turned out some signs of military life. Tlie place on further 
development appeared to have been a sort of pit or rubbish hole dug 
at the back of a fireplace containing bones and shells. The largt-, 
stones of the fireplace lay at the bottom part, inider one of which 
was a long pot-hook. Several pewter buttons of the 17th and one of 
the 71st Fraser Highlanders came to hand, with a bronze cuff-link 
having the design of the rose, thistle and shamrock. A bayonet 
socket, a bullet and gun-flint were familiar military accompani- 
ments of the buttons. An odd find was a bronze needle about 2 
inches in length, evidently a '" home-made " article, such as might 
be used for tent-making. On working to the south around the large 
stones, it was found that they had formed part of a large wrecked 
fireplace which belonged to another large hut, the floor of which 
lay at a depth of about 3l/> feet from the surface; and from the 
rich ashes of the hearth the mulberry tree had sprung, its n^imerous 
roots greatly interfering with our exploration. In front of this 
hearth was an unusually large pile of barrel-hoops, which from 

159 



Relics of the Revolution 



their quautity aud variety indicated tliat tliis may have beeu a 
storehouse. Assiiming that four were used on a barrel, there would 
have been about a dozen of them. Among the ashes a pewter 
button of the I7th was found, which proved the occupancy of the 
place by that regiment, and provided as well one of the finest 
specimens of its kind, retaining its shape and original lustre. The 
large size of the fireplace and the extent of the space around it in 




-li.iir I iiriihiro of Bug-out Hut S, Oil tlip Dyckiiiaii Farm 

which objects were scattered confirmed the idea that it was prob- 
ably a storehouse. But it was more important in that it showed the 
probable existence of a third line of huts, and an energetic effort 
was made to locate them. The first attempt, however, at the south 
of this place, led into an unexpected Indian shell-pit, which 
afforded an immense mass of oyster shells with accompanying 
labor of extraction, but only a few scraps of native pottery. 
Execrating the unprofitable aborigines, the shells were piled back 



160 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

in the hole, in which they had lain long before the first American 
soldier appeared ou the scene, and attention was turned to the 
fascinating search for military information and materials. 

The number of hut sites thus far disclosed, and the apparent 
regularity with which some of them appeared to ha\e been located, 
now required a careful survey of the sites to determine the exact 
lay-out of the camp. Accordingly, a morning was spent in staking 
out the known positions and measuring the distances between them, 
and in relating them to a string drawn parallel to the east curbline 
of the finished part of Prescott Avenue north of Dyekman .Street. 
A cross line of the curbs of Academy Street across the camp site 
was set off and the various tinds were plotted with accurate refer- 
ence to existing street lines. The rows of the huts lay in three 
lines, about 33 feet, or say half a chain apart, and the central line 
on which so far nine huts had been located was very nearly parallel 
to the roadway of Prescott Avenue as constructed. This indicated 
that both had followed the natural topogTaphy of the ground and 
that the present rough lane may even have been the successor of a 
camp pathway. 

The distance between those huts which lay nearest each other 
along that line seemed to have been 30 to 33 feet. A presumable 
tliii'd row was staked out starting from the most recent tind under 
the mulberry tree, and having marked with large cards on stakes 
all the hut sites a large photograph was taken of the entire area 
on Sunday, September (>, 1914. Sounding at the expected distance 
along the third line soon showed signs of debris. This proved to be 
an extensive as well as interesting place, developing by several 
days of labor into a large hut about 20 feet by 12 feet, with a very 
hard floor of packed sand, extending fully 20 feet into the hill- 
side, where the back part was five feet underground. In this deep 
part there was a rough fireplace with a mass of ashes and debris 
situated in one corner, an unusual position. 

In this excavation, the sieve caught a fine pewter button of the 
Coldstream Guards, the proximity of which to the Guards Badge 

161 



Relics of the Revolution 



ill the hut opened in 1913, which was only 2") feet away, leads to 
the presumption that the latter belonged to an officer of that 
famous regiment. 

it was an interesting coincidence that Mr. Calver received at 
Ihis time a letter from Colonel Monck, commanding that corps, 
written just prior to the departure of the regiment to the seat of 
war in Belgium, conveying the thanks of the regiment to him for 
tlie gift of the hroiize beltplate bearing the initials " C. G." which 
had liceu found some vears ago at Fort Tryon. The latest find 
was by far the best specimen of a button of the Coldstreams and 
added a keen zest to the further e.\]ilnratioii of the hut. This was 
rewarded with about twenty other buttons, one of which was an 
American Continental " U. S. A." Another was a small silver 
button of the 1 Tth, in such perfect preservation that its face shone 
U[> brightly as soon as it was shaken Iriose fnim its earthy covering. 
\ third iind was a hollow pewter hnttoii (if the 17th nf the type 
worn by non-commissioned officers. 

With these were familiar military dbjects, such as ice-creepers, 
bullets, gun-tlints. a ra/.or and a knife and furk. 

There was an nnnsiml abundance i.if oyster, clam and innssei 
shells composing a layer e\i(lently tlirdwn in after the but tloor 
had been filled jiarlly up. \'ei'y little china or irduwork came to 
hand, except a ciaislied Hessian canteen and part of a Statlordsliii-e 
iron tripod cooking pot. 

About twenty feet north of this lint there were traces of another, 
but it proved so barren of objects that it was abandoned in favor of 
a more promising site. This was located Octolier 10, I'.ill, liy 
measurement, and was opened by trenching into the hillside. The 
floor, where it emerged from the hillside, was about 2 feet deep, 
probably the shallower part had been destroyed by the frost and 
plough. It was \erv dry and cutting into the hill pro\ed hard 
work, but buttons of the 71st and one of the I7th with a couple 
of bullets sufficiently indicated the character of the place. Later 
rains somewhat eased the labor and among the objects discovered 



162 



The Hut Camp of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot 

was a complete rum bottle, which lay Hat on tlio floor level. It 
was uearly empty of saiul and in excellent condition and was added 
to Mr. Dnnsmore's collection. On cutting back into the hill sev- 
eral feet, it was found tliat tlie hut iuid Ijcon HUed in with stones 
and sand containing scraps of metal. The flreplace was quite 
fifteen feet in the hillside and faced nortiieastwards and occupied, 
as in the case of the previous discovery, the corner of the hut. 
On the aslies lay no less than eight j)ot hooks, one of which was a 
yard long, and near by two pewter buttons of the 17th added to the 
museum collection, and a good ice-creeper, a camp axe-head, a 
bullet beaten into a flat disc, and an illegible copper lialfpenny. 

In a space under one of the few remaining appletrees of the 
Dyckman orchard is a little playground for children, provided 
with a see-saw, to one side of which the steel rod gave indications 
of stones set in a line about 2 feet below the sod. The situation 
was just between the huts last o])ened. This new place indicated 
that these large huts on the third line might be closer together 
and thus might have been nearly continuous. 

The row of stones extended east and west, and on the north side 
was military debris, luillets. gun-llints iind jilain pewter buttons. 
About .") feet diiwn was a mass of blackened sand and much ashes 
with a single bari'ol hoop lying flat. Careful sifting lironght out a 
bronze sleeve-link with an oriuinicntal design, a fJiH't of a brass 
badge of tliin metal, an ice-cret'iier and a small brass thimble, with 
a scrap of poi'cclain having the mark " W '" thereon. There Avas a 
good flreplace facing eastward liuilt of large stones. This fire- 
place again occupied a corner of the hut space for the original 
sand wall was very clear along side of it. The hut was curiously 
crowded in between the other sites and seemed to be shallower 
than others. On this floor no less than sixteen bullets were taken 
up, sufficient to demonstrate its military character to a large num- 
ber of interested visitors. 

On the floor, alongside the inevitable pot-hook, were many frag- 
ments of a cover of a soup-tureen. It was nearly complete and the 

163 



Relics of the Revolution 



beautiful design of its shape aud handle made it, in its restored 
condition, a striking addition to the collection of militarv ceramics. 

Prolonged labor at this place resulted in a number of local 
friendships and every day broiiglit a succession of inquisitive 
visitors, among whom some of the childnui of the vicinity were 
the most persistently interested in the work, joining in shoveling 
and sifting and enjoying the excitement of the finds. The last hut 
discovered up to the time of completing this record was again 
thirty feet northward on the third line of huts, where the sounding 
rod indicated conditions. As the hole was sunk the rod followed 
and finally located a floor surface quite five feet below the slope 
of the hill. Soon followed abundant evidence of its occupation in 
bullets, bones and pot hooks of which several lay at different depths. 
Fully seven feet below ground the hearth of the fireplace was 
found, in front of which was a large flat hearth-stone and on and 
around it were fragments of hand-painted English Delft paste- 
ware. An odd discovery was the stem of an Indian clay pipe which 
had evidently been discovered by some soldier who bad cut it with 
a knife to ascertain its material and then proceeded to further 
develop it into a whistle! He apparently got tired of the pastime 
and throw it away. The excavation was so extensive that a barrow 
became for the first time a necessity, and the soil was wheeled out 
and deposited on either side of the excavation. The stones which 
once composed the upper jiart of the fireplace were foimd to have 
fallen in upon the hearth, and on removal the stone structure was 
uncovered and found to be one of the best yet imearthed. It 
faced northwards as others lielow had done. The chimney-stones 
and a number of excellent red bricks were saved for reconstruction. 
(Hut S; see page IGO.) 

The sifter brought to light the face part of a silver button of 
the 42nd or Royal Highland Regiment, the famous " Rlack 
Watch.'" This was followed by finding a still finer specimen of the 
28th Regiment which rather appropriately was commanded in 
the Revolutionarv War bv a Colonel of the name of Prescott. 



IG-i 



The Hut Camp of the SevenleeiUh Regiment of Foot 












Military Buttons, Etc., from Huts at Prescott Avenue 
The Black Watch, 28th, 35th, 71st Regiments, Officers' Ornamental Buttons, 

Spanish Silver Coin 



165 



Relics of the Revolution 



These valued speoimeus greatly added to the zest of the search, 
which was rewarded by a pair of ice-creepers, half-a-dozen bullets, 
gun-flints, fragments of buckles, and a horse's bit. An interesting 
clay pipe was found with much of its broken stem lying nearby. 
It has an elaborate raised design on each side of the bowl com- 
posed of the Royal arms of (Jreat Britain, and it was of the 
■■ church warden "" type witii a long stem. -Xearl>y were pewter 
buttons of the ITth Iicgimcnt and a handsome gold-plated orna- 
mental button of an unusual design, rather similar in form to a 
button found in the othcer's hut site at Fort Washington in 1'.I13. 

Among this debris were two Ijrass pins and a pocket knife. 

There was a great deal of rul)bisb in the tilled-in nuiterial, 
ijuantities of ashes, oysters and hones with bullets and gun-flints, 
a lead pencil, and snndl fragments of porcelain. A complete little 
pipe bowl had a heart-shaped design encircling the well-known 
initials " T. D." and a '" W. (i." pipe was a familiar companion. 
Several more 7 1st Eegimcnt buttons came to hand and one of the 
35th, making five reginu^'iits identified with the occupancy of the 
hut. 

The use of the hut by officers and its extensive size rendered it 
a peculiarly interesting consummation of the field work for the 
vear 1914, during which this important camp site had been so 
successfully and definitely developed. 



\i\t\ 



XV 

THE HUT CAMP ON THE DYCKMAN FARM 

Tlio work of exploration at the Hut Camp described in the 
previous chapter was followed, during the period of the prepara- 
tion of this book, up to the time of its publication, with increas- 
ingly interesting results, and the camp has been found to have 
been a far more extensive military station than it had been at first 
supposed. 

Its importance, and the extent of information thus acquired 
induced Mr. John Ward Dunsinore to devote his talented brush 
to the reconstmction of its one-time appearance, in a tine paint- 
ing, a reproduction of which, in color, he has contributed to this 
book, as its frontispiece. 

Here, on the familiar hillside, with the same natural features 
of rock and forest which then surrounded it. we may see the life 
of the camp, when in British occupation, faithfidly and accurately 
reproduced. The rows of huts, of varied rude forms of con- 
struction, stand befiire the spectator, and in the clear autumnal 
atmosphere, the smoke of the long abandoned fireplaces ascends 
from the headless barrels that foniied their chimnies while ])efore 
their doorways the soldiers are occupied in tlie duties and 
jiastimes of cam}} existence. 

Before one hut the reginieiital bai'ber is at work upon a patient, 
while another waits his turn at tlie razor. At another, a game 
of cards is being played, and nearer still, gossiping grou[)s of foot 
soldiers are discussing with a Highlander of the Black Watch, 
the latest news from Carolina, or furhishing muskets for a new 
foray intu Westclu'ster nmiity. while an officer of the Light 
Dragoons gives directions to a comrade of a foot regiment. 

W© may see the familiar window glass, the doors and hinges 
purloined from the Dycknian and Kortright dwellings, the omni- 
present rum-bottle and the stoneware jug, the barrels and 

16Y 



Relics of the Revolution 



discarded hoops over which von Krafi't once tripped and hurt his 
shins. 

The scene may be compared witli the photographic view of the 
same area, in M-hich the sites of the liuts are marked by white 
signs along the hillside. 

The work on this camp site in the old Dyckman orchard thus 
extended in 1111.5, far to tiie inirtlicast, along the hillside, to about 
thirty-six hut sites in all. 

The opening of the sea.son's w<iik mhi.u disclosed a new hut- 
site, near " S," wliicli was nuniliered l'H. On digging down 
about three feet, the expected liai'd and bhn-kened surface was 
found, and traces of its past dccupatioii, in l)roken pottery, 
earthen-ware, bullets and nuisket-llints, with which was a pewter 
button of the Forty- t'lmrfb Foot Iieginient, the first of that corps 
which had been found at this cam]>. A biittou of the Seventeenth 
was next discovered, and a luinibcr of ])lain pewter l)nttons with 
pewter loops jji-ochiimed the oiic-tinic presence of the Hessian. 
This was confirmed by the ni)per part of an iron canteen, and 
further by quantities of mussel slieils. a class of sea f<x)d fotind 
also in the Arden street hut-sites, and in other places of Hessian 
occupation. Probably these succulent molluscs were considered 
specially desirable by the mercenaries. 

The material found in but 20 was of poor quality, the buttons 
all being burned. We trenched into the hill, with the help of our 
one-time aide, ]\[r. J. J. Himter, and eventually found the fire- 
place, which was a mere bed of sand and ashes witliont stones or 
bricks. There was evidence that sand bad washed in over the 
floor. On the north side there was another little fire-pocket 
about a foot above the main tjoor -— perhaps made after the 
place had been invaded by the sand, on some occasion of re- 
occupying the hut after a season's abandonment. 

An ice-creeper was nearby, aud seven lead musket bullets lay 
together in this little fii-e's ashes, also a brass ramrod guide, in 
which a small piece of ii'on was stuck as if it had become wedged 



108 



The Hut Camp on the Dyckman Farm 



there. On the inside face this object has the letter " B " stamped 
or cast in it. 

Hut " T " or K'o. 20, as this was designated, therefore, seems 
to have been in Hessian occupation at some time, and its chief 
interest lay in its confirmation of the existence of more huts iu a 
northeasterly direction. 

Hut "U " or j^o. 21, was fouud by the steel rod striking some 
small objects at a point about twenty-five feet northeast of that 
last described. A few scraps of metal led on to a floor that lay 
about four feet lielow the line of turf. Here we met a number 
of barrel hoops, irregularly placed, and were much puzzled as to 
the direction in which to look for the fireplace. Eventually we 
found it at the noi'tliwest end of the space, the hearth being laid 
with largo flat stones in fi'oiit. The hearth level had been partly 
jiaved with a red bricks. 'J'lie l)ed of ashes was very wide, the 
stone sides were broken dnwii, and only the base of one side of 
the construction was left in its original position. There were 
several double pot-hooks, sonic of which were hooked into each 
other; also a coarse clay pi[)e-liowi, some bullets, a knife-blade in 
a leaden socket, a brass thimble, a large belt-buckle with some of 
the whitened leather still adhering to it, and some scraps of 
Chinese porcelain ware. 

We transferred our operations, after exhausting hut " U," 
back to the site numbered '' P " or 15, which we had at one time 
opened, and had abandoned at a depth of about three feet, as it 
yielded very little indications of its use. Taking a position 
midway between huts near it, we sank a deeper hole, and thus 
came on the remains of the fireplace, which was quite five feet 
below the surface. The space in front of the hearth was paved 
with large flat stones, and was cleared with some hard work in 
lifting the material. It proved to be the largest yet uncovered, 
being five feet wide at the throat, and four feet at the back, and 
three feet deep. The stone walls were intact, to a height of 
nearly three feet. The hearth itself was paved with flat stones. 



169 



Relics of the Revolution 



ami 1111 it lav nearly a foof dcjith uf lianl-liaked wood ashes. 
Close to the iiiiile-iiook A\'as a siher bnttuii of an otfleer of the 
Seventeenth Font !Jei;iiiient, hut little of interest ntlier than this 
was found. 

In makiiia- an examination of a place chjse to Prescott aveiuie 
near Imt site "<.'•" or A'o. 7, of which it prohahly formed a part, 
the sdunding rod gaxc indications of the presence of oyster shells 
lielciw the soil, and on dii;tiiiii;' down, laruc niiml.vers were found 
almiit rliree teef lielow the surface. Willi ihese were mixed 
meat hones. Innkcn nun hdttles, smiie window iilass, unils and 
In-iikeii lii'icks, imlicatiiii: a "" ilninji " in an ahandoiRHl liut. 
'I'lieie was .•ihiiiidancc nl' asli. mixed with llic sand on the floor, 
and seven pewter Inittcii'; of the Sevenlcenth Font Uegiment 
were found in it. The sifter hrouiilit to liiilit a small copper 
coin, haviiiy cnly slii;lit traces of a (!erman coat-of-arms on one 
side, which had heeii pierced with a small hole, appareiitiv made 
hy a s(|nare -liapi'd pnncli nr :i nail. .\ mnsket flint was found 
ch^se tn a lead casini;', \vhi<-h were ijnuhtless nniteii at diie time, 
for the casing; just fitted the flint. 

A verv good sjiecimen of an ice-creeper was found and a copper 
strap, perha])s the hiift of a pisfnl. with an ein;ra\-ed jiatterii, the 
surface of which iiad heen enameled hlack. 

'I'hi' unmher of (iy>ter shells was very cnnsideralile and their 
ap|icai'ance of ai;(' led to the conjecture that some at least had 
lieen uf the al"irii;inal jierind. di,-.tnrlied |n'(iliahly hy tlic >oldiers 
in <-iiii>ti'iict iiii;' tlic lint. This >iinnise was confirmed hy a fine 
spearhead uf Mack elicit, \-eiy well formed and serrated, the 
exfi'cme point nnly heim: missiiii;. This was an unusual find in 
itself, and it^ presence in>i(|i a militar\- lint site is explained hy 
the soldiers di>tii rliini; an Indian shell ]io<'ket. 

.\ wlicle innehiittle was fdiiiid lyiiii;' nn its side, this hcilig' the 
se<'(;nd complete sample taken out of this camp. 'I'iie .sifter 
caiii;ht a couple of little liars id' lead, which after cleaning turned 
out to he printer's type, one heiiiii a letter ■"n," lower case, and 



ITH 







.3 - .r 



•** -1^ 5 = 



Relics of the Revolution 



another a big, big " D." Mr. ( 'alver's sharp vision discovered a 
brass pin which tlie sifter would have missed. 

As fiu-ther search showed no indication of a firephice, we de- 
cided to abandon the phice and tilled it in ; removing to a new 
place, located bv the sounding rod, which was in the third row, 
northeastward of hut site " Q," and near the ancient apple tree 
round which the children's playground was arranged. This site 
became " W " or Xo. 23. The day was well advanced when we 
cut through the turf, and laid bare a small space of rich black 
earth, witli abundance of oystei- shells and fragments of meat- 
bone. 

The sifter soon captured several bnttuns of the familiar 
Seventeenth, specimens of all three designs of that regiment's 
e(|uipment, and sc. we were able tn decide upon the place as a 
military but site. 

Wiirk went merrily, fur tiiids were frequent; a button ot" the 
{■'iinrteeiitb loirbingbaiusbirtf llegimciit was soon folldwed by 
one of the Seventy-first Fraser Highland Kegiment. 

Layers of ashes, burnt clay and nuich bones and shells lilled the 
space once oi'cupied liy the but. A little medicine bottle of green 
glass was most fortunately f(i\niil coniplete, and this was soon 
followed by a rarity we had long sought, for we fished out a 
"Caltrop" or " crowsfoot," a four-legged spike used to disable 
horses of cavalry, of which only one other specimen has been 
fcjund in Manhattan, and that also at Inwood, preserved in the 
small private collection (vf the late Mr. C. C. Simpson. 

We found four ice-creepers, some bullets, a pot-ho<jk, a plain 
])ipe bowl, and just as we were leaving, in lu'caking down the sod 
around the liole, the choicest find of the day was made. Jt was 
a complete silver button of the Queen's Kangers, or Simcoe's 
Rangers, that notorious Tory Corps of which Von Kratft tells 
us he saw two members hanged for murder on Fordham Heights. 

The site No. !'■'! on further exploration was foTind {o be un- 
usually rich, the whole hut space being filled in with soil mixed 



172 



The Hut Camp on the DvcJ^man Farm 



with camp nilibisli, having quantities of oyster and clam shell, 
mixed with fragments of meat l)one.s and ashes. As the excava- 
tion proceeded, the fireplace was disclosed, whicli was found to 
he standing complete about four feet high ; of the customary stone 
construction, and facing southeast. It was comparatively small, 
being three and one-half feet wide and two feet deep. The ashes 
on the liearth covered the remains of a back-log which had not 
been entirely consumed. I^arge stones from the upper part had 
fallen in on the hearth, as well as half-a-dozen whole bricks of 
red clay, one of which was so excellent a sample that it was sent 
to the State ]\luseum at Albany, and others set aside for some 
future useful purpose in liistorical restorations. 

The mass of material was carefully sifted, two sieves being 
kept going all day, with abundant results, for no less than fifty 
buttons were captured, of which tlie majority were those of 
private soldiers of the Seventeenth foot Regiment. The collec- 
tion, however, added two fine silver buttons of officers of that 
corps, and also private's buttons of the Fourteenth Bucking- 
hamshire, of the Forty-third Foot, and of the Forty-fourth Foot. 

The Forty-third Iieginient was in ^e\v York in the summer 
of 1781, and the Forty-fourtii, which was largely instrumental in 
building fortifications at Fort (!eorge, occupied huts on that liill 
in 1779 and 1780. 

Among other objects, the number of ice-creepers was increased 
to fifteen, and several bronze shoe and knee buckles were found. 
A musket flint encased in a lead-covering was a confirmation of 
the idea derived from separated specimens, and more than a 
dozen musket bullets added the military character of the place. 

Several lumps of whitish clay were taken out which were simi- 
lar to the large deposit in an old Inicket found in an earlier 
excavation, and taken to have been '" pipe-clay." Fragments of 
cream china ware, pottery and window-glass, were scattered 
among a score of broken rum-bottles, with barrel hoops, nails, 
bolts and spikes. 

173 



Relics of the Revolution 



The work was further extended the following week, when a 
number of visitors wlio liad seen the place in an inspection on 
Decoration Day, were present aH<l some watched the work for 
several hours. 

The hilt floor was cleared and I'oiind to lie of the customary 
blackened hard-beaten sand. i'lir side> ut the upening were ex- 
tended, and a number of small ulijects were fnimd liy persistent 
sifting, the work being liastriicil by the use of three sieves. 
.Vnother silver buttcm uf Seventeenth Regiment was found, also 
a line ornamental biitfou. nun' gilded, tlnniglit to. have been used 
bv some officer n( high rank and the day's interest culminated 
in the discovery of two |ir\\t('f Imttons of the Twenty-seventh 
FoO't Regiment of the iiriti^li Ai'niy. the well-known " Inniskil- 
lens." 

This regiment's service in .\'ew \'ork was limited to a share 
in the battle of Fort \\'asliingt(Mi. ami the discovery of these 
buttons would seem to indicate their presence in the cainjj, as 
early as the fall of 177(1. 

.\ button taken from ncai- ihr llooi- inrnrd out on later insjjec- 
tion to be a small pewter >.[ircinicn of the Twenty-si.xth Regi- 
ment or ■■ C'anierouian." of whii-h ibr only other specimens found 
were at Fo.rt Xo. 4. ami anothei- at Riveiside park near IKith 
street, though an officer's bntton was foniid near 2nist street on 
the Harlem river. 

The excavation was then extended beyond the jsrobable area of 
the hut, and i:i a space wlii<4i was jirobably just outside its door 
there was fouml a mass of bni-ied rubbish containing oyster and 
clam shells, two complete glass rnm-bottles, ice-creepers (making 
IS in all found at this site) and the basket-guard of a sword, 
proljably a Scotch Claymore. 

China ware of interesting character was found, though in a 
fragmentary condition, sonu' portions of a small bowl of Coalport 
ware, and others of a plate with et<'hed design, having part of an 
inscription thereon. 

174 



The Hut Camp on the Dvcl(man Farm 



The most interesting object M'as a silver button, in excellent 
pi-eservation, of an ofHcer of tiie Thirty-seven tli Fo(i.t IJeginient, 
wbicli was near a nnriiber of ])hiin jx'wtci' imttuns proliablv Hes- 
sian, and sevci'ai In'okeji metal canteens of (Jernian t\]ii'. l!v tlie 
time this material had been cleared imt, we liad cnt an exten- 
sidn at tiie sontheast angle of the Jiiit, quite twenty feet from the 
tireplace, and we were inclined to tliink tiiat tlie deposit of 
wastage liad l>een fi)rined in a Imle \vliicli hai! licen ilni;' exterim' 




riiMicliiiiir indi a Uiit-Sitc 



to the hut, though the extent of tlie material and the depth of the 
deposit led to the surmise whether the hut was not in fact much 
larger. An examination of the History of Brooklvn bv Stiles 
and the History of j^ewtown by Kikei- shows that such huts Avere 
sometimes as much as fifty feet long. 

Hut site '* X ■■■ or No. 24, which was the next one located, was 
found by prodding with the steel rod, south of Hut No. 2:1, and 

175 



Relics of the Revolution 



ill close proximity to the " grannv " apple tree and children's 
swings. A floor was t'cjuud, only about two feet below the sur- 
face, on which lay numerous fragments of Colonial red brick, 
and a button of the Seventy-tirst or " Fraser "' Highland Regi- 
ment SfRin determined its military character. 

The tilled-in material was not remunerative in relics, but an 
interesting feature developed when we found that the hut floor 
had lieen constructed over an Indian shell-pocket, cdutaining 
several l)ushels of oyster shells, some deer and other Ixjue frag- 
ments, and some of the canine teeth of a carnivoi'ous animal. A 
fragment or twn of almriginal pottery cdutributed to determine 
its character. A white quartz ari'owhead of war pattern was 
found in the upper part of the mass and a musket Inillet was 
found near the top, which had apparently been fired dovrn into 
the packed shells, thereby being flattened on one side. 

The sounding rod gave indications of a brick floor which was 
uncovered, at a depth of only about two feet, when it was found 
to consist of fine Colonial and Dutch bricks, evidently laid with 
purpose, but running in curiously puzzling directions. With the 
liclp of ^Ir. Thurston, and of ^Fr. 11. ii. Van Buskirk, a recent 
recruit, tlie work wa-^ carried out quite systematically, resulting 
in our laying bare the lower part of a large baking-oven of 
nnii|U(' character and plan. 'J"hc construction was regular, and 
evidently made liy skilled workmen. The liricks were all laid 
in clay sand bed and joints, though here and there were a few 
traces of mortar, which may have been used in the arched roof of 
the oven. The upper portion was, of course, absent, and the 
side walls above the hearth were also removed down to a (MHiple 
of courses high. 

The hearth was composed <if two layers of brick, the lower laid 
in a curious curve, the upper (jiiitc I'egulaily from the door to the 
back of the oven. The side walls were seven courses deep below 
the hearth, and were built at a diverging angle, making the shape 
of the interior, about two and one-half feet wide at the mouth, 



no 



The Hut Camp on the Dyckman Farm 



and five and one-half feet wide at the back, by about the same 
depth inside. 

The bricks were in great part whole liricks of excellent 
Colonial shape but here and there were little yelluw Dutch 
bricks of familiar shape, in the rarely complete condition. The 
door faced northeast. On the soutlieast side of the brick wall a 
quantity of shells and bones were mixed in the soil, in which 
were two buttons of tlie Seventeenth Foot Ivegirnent, an indica- 
tion of tlie constructors of the oven. The upper portion had 
been entirely i-emoved, and judging- by tlie number of bricks of 
which it mnst liavc been composed, it may be assimied they were 
taken for some local l)uilding, sucii as the re-buildiug of the 
nearby Dyckman homestead, after the war, Avoidd have 
occasioned. 

Tlie floor in front was cleared and the walls were found to 
extend down all around, so that the oven had probably been 
built in a cleared level space. On removal, about three hundred 
bricks were found, of wliich abimt half a dozen were little yellow 
clay bricks, usually thought to have been of Dutch make. One 
of these was in the lowest course of the side wall. The hearth 
was tormed of the two layers of l)ricks described, with a layer of 
sand between them which was baked a bright red color by the 
heat. The bricks were all taken to the old Dyckman house and 
used in its repair. 

The discovery of a large additional area of camp construction 
and occupation was made \iy Mi-. Calver on Sunday, June 27, 
1915. The wet season had rendered the subsoil very easy to 
penetrate. He probed tlie soil along the hillside for a distance of 
about five Imndred feet in a north-easterly direction, and finally 
located a number of stones under the sod at a jioint over two hun- 
dred feet to the nortlieast, near the line of 204th street and our 
old discoveries of Indian pits and graves on Seaman avenue in 
1908. The work of removing the stones proved very arduous 
under the hot summer sun, but a few objects which came to 



177 



Relics of the Revolution 



light, encouraged the party. The stones had evidently formed 
part of a chininey and helow them we finally located a liard 
HcXkr at a depth of more than five feet. On the blackened sur- 
face were scraps of broken window and bottle glass, and in the 
tilled-in soil were many nails, some fragments of bottles, a 
bronze strap-buckle and a couple of l)nllets, which were evidence 
of a military character. 

On the work being further developed, it led to the clearing out 
of a tine stone tireplace facing northeast. The loose stones had 
evidently formed the upper part of its constructictn. There 
was little in the way of objects in the tilled-in soil save an axe- 
head. The only military button which was found was that of 
the Seventeenth Kegiment. The fireplace was two feet six inches 
wide at back, two feet ten inches deep, and four feet wide at the 
front, facing east ijv north. Jhe consti'uction was not so well 
done as in others, for the angle of one side witii the l>aek wall 
was greater than tiiat of the other side. 

The iicartb was of ])nrned ash and >nud and on it were 
several very small pot-hooks, some broken bottles, and some cal- 
cined wood wliicli bail f<iiHicd the last tire. 

Tests with the steel i-od about tifty feet south by west of this 
site revealed oyster shells at a depth of only about a foot and a 
half, and a vii^orons clearing of the sjiot brought to light an 
abundant deposit of rubbish of a military character, which de- 
veloped during a lively day's operations into one of the richest 
finds in the camp. 

A partial floor was found at a depth of two and one-half to 
three feet, above which lay several l^arrel hoops, and mi.\ed with 
the soil cpuiutities of ashes, shells, meat bones, nails and fragments 
of earthenware. Buttons were soon discovered and became so 
numenius as to fill three of the typewriter ribbon boxes which 
were employed to preserve them. Numerous fragments of a large 
earthenware flask or pitcher were toimd, the complete restoration 
of which appeared possible, and among other interesting metallic 

178 



The Hut Camp on the D^cf(man Farm 



objects a folding knife and fork, and two of the combination tools 
apparently consisting of a screw-driver, an awl and a chisel, ar- 
i-Miiged in a triangular form. A large double pot-hook of un- 
usually good shape, some bronze and iron shoe and knee and strap 
buckles, about twenty leaden bullets, and several black musket 
tiints couriruii'il tlic iiiilitai'v use of the place either as a hut or a 
waste pit. 

The unusual abundance of buttons of wliich over a hundred 
wiTc discovered, proved parficularly interesting — flic majority 
wc'i'c ni' the Fannliar Seventeenth, but several (d" these were of an 
ninisual ty]i(> of lettering, and one of these (|uite uiiii]ui' in tii(> 
chararlci- of the numerals, making four known l.\p<'s of this regi- 
ment's buttons. 

'Iwo large and several small pewter buttons of the Fourteenth 
Kegiment established the use of the place contemporaneously with 
Hut "A" oi- Xo. 1. which was directly above on the steep hillside, 
and with a button of llie Seventh Royal l'"usiliers, these helped 
to decidi' its early use in the War nf I ndepcndenee : for the latter 
i-ciiinient was at '' Kingsbridge "" in 1777 and left on the Sth of 
September. 17711. Its use of the ramji therefoi'e was |iroliaM\ the 
wintei' of 1 77S— 711. 

Another button of tlie Forty-third was among the spoil, and 
the 'I'wenty-secoud foot, or ^lanchester N'olunteers, was repre- 
-ented by three buttons, specimens new to this camp, 'i'his corps 
was in New York in 1779—80, and the Forty-third in 1781. com- 
]jleting the interesting series of periods of occupation. 

Further work in extending this excavation site No. 26, 
bi-ougbt ;diout twenty-four more buttons to light. ]\lost of these 
were of the familiar Seventeenth Regiment, but of various de- 
signs, both with rai.sed and incised numl)ers. One was of unusual 
<i/.e. and constriieted with a pewter shank, an unusual feature in 
the Ilrili>li button, having a border <lesign similar to that of the 
linttons of the Forty-scventli foot, and constituting another new 
type used by that regiment. 

179 



Relics of the Revolution 



The fragmeuts of stoneware accumulated from the sieves were 
later assembled into nearly a complete pitcher of uiiusnal form 
and artistic proportions. In a restored condition it is nearly 
eighteen inches high and about twelve inches in diameter. The 
color is graded from a deep brown to a mottled orange. 

Tiie place on final development presented the aj)2)earaiicc of a 
group of cess-pits, probably composed of half barrels set on a 
rough floor, for the hoops of the barrels were found lying with 
the larger diameter upwards, and located about five or six feet 
apart. In and ai'ound each, the waste material lay thickly, and 
many familiar objects came to hand, as three sifters were kept 
busily at work. The exploring force was augmented by several 
volunteers, and even little Dickey, who carefully informed us that 
his age was three and a half, took a hand. 

But even the most promising hut site has its limits, and .so our 
advance guard went to work with the steel probe, along the 
assumed line of occupation, long ere the last of the site " Z "' had 
been fully exhausted. 

Another place was soon located about thirty feet away to the 
south, which, the alphabet l)eing exhausted, was baptized No. 27, 
and pro\e'l to be a true hut tliMU', but poor in its contents, except 
as I'egards oy.ster shells, of which there were l)u.shels. A few 
signs of military life decided its character, and it was not tinwill- 
ingly abandiincd. at the call to fbc next site, jSTo. 2S, about sixty 
feet further on, under the last remaining pear tree of the old 
Dyckman orchard, where rich material was struck, evidently of 
the same character as the much a]ipreciated site " Z." 

Tlie new place proved to lie anotlier ■" dniii]i," probably used for 
kitchen refuse. A mass of shells covered an area of several sijuare 
yards, lying above a faiidy good sand floor. A large number of 
iron hoops indicated tlie use of tnlis oi' barrels of various sizes, 
used as containers of debris. .Muindant meat ])ones, oyster and 
mussel shells told of tlie camp-mess, and the Inittons of the 
soldiery turned uji with exhilarating regularity. Box after box 
was filled witli specimens, mostly poor, and of the almost too 



180 



The Hul Camp on the Dvclfiuan Farm 



fiimiliar iSeveuteeutli, but Hually three of the Forty-seeoud High- 
landers were found near together. 

Two fine bronze buckles of Tinusual form were found which 
umy have lieen part of a sword strap. The hook of one still 
grasped a small bundle of silver cord that had formed some part 
of the uniform of its wearer. 

Several razors lay in the rubbish, two of which had the handles 
well preserved. More than a dozen ice creepers were added, and 
the variety of the sizes led to some study of their proportions, by 
which we found that the widths varied from less than three 
inches to nearly four inches in width, the latter perhaps to suit 
the doughty foot of a Hessian. A horseshoe and a bit showed the 
near presence of horsemen, and a worn lojjjier half-penny had heen 
cut in half to make the value of a farthing. 

There was little in the way of chinaware, and only one broken 
ale glass, but all the workers were able to carry home some rewards 
in the .shape of Imllets, whole and cut, musket flints and pocket 
knives, and of broken luicks and rusted house nails a goodly pile 
was left on the ground after a couple of days' arduous work in the 
l)road sunshine of July. 

With added interest and the sturdy aid of other enthusiasts, 
rapid progress was now made in the work, and it Ijecajue necessary 
t(» employ a man solely to till in the openings we had made, as the 
gaping holes presented dangers to wandering children or horses. 

Mr. Calver's craving for new finds induced extensive explora- 
tions with the steel rods, and he succeeded in locating several other 
sites, some of wliicli were rather hastily opened and examined as 
the season waned. ISTiunbers 31 and 32 were higher up the hill, 
aliove those just described, and of these, the fireplace in 31 was 
built in a semi-circular form, little beyond the lower row of stones 
being left in position. 

Farther northeast, ISTo. 32 was found, close to the foot-path 
from Seaman to Prescott avenue, and close to the woods. It 
disclosed an excellent stone fireplace, facing northeast, but its 

181 



Relics of the Revolulion 



contents were disappointing, yielding a good camp axe. a few 

bullets, but no buttons or other valued objects. 

Xo. 35 was still farther northeast and well within the under- 
brusli below the old locust trees. Jt proved fairly rich in large 
iniiterials, as it had licen used fur a dump of oyster shells and 
kitchen slops, with al>undant limken glass, out of which at lower 
depths two whole bottles were taken, one of which was ((uite 
empty and dry, and still retains the mark of the drci:> ot thi- 
rum that dried uji in its interioi-. The tlooi' was deep, and on it 
was found a liar-shot, of about twenry-livc pounds weight, which 
liad rolled off the hearth on which it had done duty as a lire-dog 
oi- andiron. 

The reason for the use of a single shot in tliis nninner was not 
jipparent till the fireplace was cleared, when it was found to be 
ti-iangnlar in shape, occupying the northwest corner of the .-pace. 
In -nch a space, a single tire-dog prohably an--wered the jiurpose. 
Hard by was a pair of forged iron rings that had bound th(> 
bead of a n'.aul or mallet, and the>e lay witli a distorted a.xe-head 
that had been used as a wedge to split the lumber for tlic tire, 
while a canteen, several ]»ot-hook>. a table knife, and rra;.;ments 
of drinking glasses spoke of tlie life of the occupants. .\n old- 
fa.shioned square, narrow spade was deep below tlie soil. 

The hut sites, 28 and 20. in which we found hearths that 
faced the same direction as that in "' Y," or Xo. 2."), pi'ovided a 
line of similar construction-, which was found on trial to extend 
directly across the hillside to the large stone fireplace of hut- 
site '' S." or 19. which also faced in the same direction, and thus 
established the proliahle line of this particular row of huts. I'pon 
resurveying the whole area, it was discovei-ed that this line of 
hnts was parallel to the old boundary of Jacobus Dyckman, of 
the year 1729. wliich is on tlie same line as Seaman avenue, and 
(^xtende<l about 100 feet to tlie west. It would seem to have been 
a very natural circumstance that the line of the huts in this camp 
should have taken form by this old boundary, which was doubtless 
at that time fully in evidence as a stone wall or fence. 

182 



The Hul Camp on the Dyckman Farm 



III hut site Ko. 34, the farthest to the northeast, an excellent 
stone fireplace was exposed. It was in so convenient a position 
that it was decided to make a complete excavation, to determine 
tlie limits of the floor space, and nse it in a reconstruction of a 
tvpical hut in the grounds of the old Dycknian liouse, aliont to 
lie hiid nut as a pulilic park. Some hard work cleared a fl(ior space 
'it' aliout ten feet sipiare, composed of tlio usual lilackened, hard 
tiMildcii ^aiiil. I'lir lii'artli wa-^ foiiiid fn l.c laid with ('olonial I'cd 




onicois' Hill Nil. .'it (111 tlio Dvckuuui Farm 

lirieks, carefullv htted in phu-c and extendiui; about a foot out 
from tlic stone janilis of the fireplace. 'l"hc hre space was two 
feet six inches wide at the back, and three feet six inches wide at 
the mouth, bv two feet four inches deep. The hearth was more 
than seven feet below the sods, the hill having a steep slope at this 
place. In the thin layer of ashes there was a dainty little porcelain 
tea-cup, and in the '' fill," a closed pocket-knife with bone sides, 
a bronze strap-buckle, but no buttons were seen. On either side 

183 



Relics of the Revolution 



of the fireplace in the angle of the dug-out space, a flat stone had 
been set, probably as a settle, and in the opposite corner a space 
of yellow sand showed np in the floor, which had the appearance 
of biiving been the jJace covered perhaps with a bed or bench. 

The construction of the fireplace was then restored. The place 
where the lintel beam had rested was found at a height of three 
feet from the hearth, and a log was placed and then built up with 
tlie fidlen stones above it, thus reproducing its original construc- 
tion. 

This work and the many objects disinterred on the old Dyck- 
inan farm liecame of special interest at this time because the 
anndnni'cmcnt was then made of the gift to the city, by ^Frs. 
Hashford Dean and ^frs. Alexander Welch, of the old Dyckmau 
dwelling on Broadway, and the restoration of that buihling was 
found to ofler an appropriate opportunity for the use of old 
bricks for fireplaces, hearths and (^liimncys, old nails and bolts for 
the woodwork, and old hinges, locks and latches for the doors of 
the old dwelling. 

For this purpose it was thought that the remains of the bake- 
ovcn were peculiarly appropriate, since there can lie little doubt 
tliat all tlie bricks, which were of different varieties in sliapc and 
material, had l)een taken from local ( 'olonial biiildings for the 
purpose of its construction. .Still more likely it is, that tlie upper 
part of the oven which had evidently been removed after the 
War, was taken for the very purpose of constructing the old liouse 
hard by tlie camp. The use of the materials in the service of re- 
jjairing the old luiilding seems not only to he justifiable, hut a 
proper, if tardy restoration of materials belonging to the very 
family which constructed it, some of which were found to be ex- 
act counterparts of others already in use in the building. 

To its hospitable roof, and its permanent shelter, all the relics 
foimd in this camp, with those discovered at all the other sites in 
the Dyckman tract, were transferred as a gift to the city by the 
group of explorers to whose laborers their disinterment was due. 



184 



XVI 
HOLLAND'S FERRY CAMP 

Where the Speed wav bends around the base of Fort George hill, 
a wide inlet extends from the Harlem River, which was long 
known to the Dutch settlers as the Half Kill, fed by the little 
brook, called " Pieter Tuynier's Eiin," which once bounded the 
Rouud Meadow — later the Dvckman farm — and found its source 
at the base of Inwood Hill on Seaman Avenue. 

Tender cover of the guns in a fortification upon the crest of Ford- 
ham hill, where now the Cuiversity of }\ew York dominates the 
scene, the British Light Infanti-y ( orps, under the command of 
Brigadier Cieneral Edward Matthews, landed on November 10, 
17T(>, in Sherman's Creek, as the Half Kill is now known, and 
advanced, with fixed bayonets, up the steep hillside to that haJid- 
to-hand encounter with ('(ilmicl iiaxter's I'eun.sylvanians which 
ended in the capture of J^aurel Hill. 

The importance of the advanced position of the Fordham forti- 
fication, which later became known as " Fort INumber Eight," 
necessitated the estaiilishnicnt of some means of ready communica- 
tion between the fort and its supports up(ui Manhattan, and during 
the occupation of New Voi-k Island by the British troops there was 
in existence a ferry known as Holland's, which evidently had 
one terminal upon the )(roni(intory forming the north side of the 
inlet of Sherman's ( 'reek, which in recent times was locally known 
as r^ronson's Point and is now covered by the vast power station 
of the United Electric Light \- Power (!'ompany. 

An examination of the plan drawn by von Krafit in 1779 dis- 
closes a direct reference upon the drawing to " Holland's ferry," 
the road leading to which around the level ground north of Laurel 
Hill is so inscribed. On the British headquarters' map of 1782, 
at the point above descrilied, a small pier is sho^\^^ extending into 
the Harlem, back of which is an enclosure surrounding four build- 
ings, and bearing the appearances of a military compound. The 

185 



Relics of the Revolution 



ferry is referred to several times in von Krali't's diary, particii- 
l;iily ill eoiiiiectiou witli the attack made iu ITSI upon the positions 
tlirn ln'M liy tlic P>ritisli on Fordhain Heights, when the surprising 
forces cut the cables of the ferry, and scared the defenders of tlie 
locality very thoroughly. 

The discovery of military rcnuiiiis at this place was made by 
Mr. W. L. ( 'alver as early as ISiii), at which time the Point was 
-till ill its original ciiiidition, preceding the grading nf Xinth 
A\ciiue, I'dlst Stirct and Academy Street, and the bulkheading 
of the yhernuin ('reck. 

riic tirsf evidence nf the past oceiipaiicy iif the l'i>int by IJritisli 
frill. ps wiis the discovery nf an otKcci's Imttun nf the 2*lth JJritish 
licgiinent which had been picked up by Mrs. I!riinsiiii in 187."(, 
fuvtunatily jireserx'ed thniigli witlmut kimw li ilge ef its bearing 
nil the Ineatinii nt the caiii|i ami e\eiitna]l\ ser\ing tii direct atfeu- 
tinii to the [)robabli; existence of other military remains in the 
localitN". leadnii; to tlii' i|isco\eiies here recorded. 

Tlie L'i'itli Iieiiilnciit. lalei- known a> the ( 'aliieroiiians. was in 
.\nierican service between I TiiT and llMi. In the autniim of 
I77.">. when Monfi^oineiN besieocil St. .Johns, the garrison of that 
jibice consisted of ."i.Mi men of tlic 7fli and 2iifh reiiimeiits. with 
a few ( 'anadian militia, all coiiimaiided bv ^la jor ( 'liarles ri-estoii 
of the L't;tli. The whole of tiiem were taken prisoners and those of 
the 26th were contined at Ticonderoga. In 177l>, a large number 
of the 26th men were exchanged and the regiment reformed and 
in the winter of 1776-77. the regiiiKMit was at Anilmy. 'Ihe 20th 
subsequently proceeded to New York and participated in the cap- 
ture of Forts Clinton and Montgomery on the Hudson, October 6, 
1777. The 26th remaini/d with Sir Henry Clinton until the array 
wa- reunited in conseijiience of tin.' evacuation ot I'liibulelpliia in 
]77S. It does not appear what jiart the regiment took in the mili- 
tary operation of that campaign, dui-ing part of wliich it was on 
dnty on Statc-n Island. The stalf went home to England in 1770, 
and the men were then distribnted among other regiments. 

l,S(i 



Holland's Ferrv Camp 



ilany buttons of the 26th were found at Ticonderoga. One 
specimen, that of a private t^oldiei', was found in Riverside Park. 
Manhattan. 

Hetwceu the years IS'.HI uiul 1 x'.t:!. many minor military relics 
were recovered by Mr. ( 'alver upon tlie surface of the ground, 
after heavy rains, di' wlien the hank (if the Harlem had heeu 
waslied away nr rut into hy unusually hi;;li tides. These tind-; 
atti-ac-lcd the atfcntinu of ntlicr interested euciuirers hy whum sumc 
small c.\ca\aliiiii> wcic made. 'I'licy wci'e rewarded by the dis- 
rovci'y of cciins. niilitaiy bufinn-. and ntliei- objects sucli as are now 
kiHuvu 111 he assiii'iatcd with milirar\ <'am])s of the period ni 
the Ilexii-lutidU. In 1 Mi t. tlic wliolr area df tlu^ camjiiui; place 
was graded In tlic lexcl df tin -liccN and Xintli .\\cniu' and I'olst 
.Street wi'vr constructed. 

.\ll tlie military liuttdiis wliicli wi re found above tlie hiiili water 
mark were I'cmarkably well preserved, and this was attributed to 
the fact that they bad not liec ii >nbjcct td tlie action of the salt watei- 

of the Harlem Uiver. nor bad come inl mlact with any fertili/.- 

in;: material, indicating that the i;ri>und lliereabouN had ne\cr 
been under cult ivation. which wa> jproliably the case. 

W'liile nd direct ret'iM-ence Id the d<-cu|iation df this cam|) is Id 
l)e found in any records id' tlie Kevolutidiniry period, we may 
clean from the reiiimeiital buttons which have been found iufornia- 
tiou as to the <'orps which occupied the camp, and from the records 
of the services of these organizations, can .judge about what period 
of the war each regiment was (|inirtired on this interesting site. 
It may be cdujectured that the camp had some connection with the 
occupation of the 1 Tth regiment camp, at the head of Academy 
Street and west of the King's liridge IJoad, with which the map 
of 17S2 shows connecting roadways. That this camp was occupied 
by men of the 17th llegiment id' Knot is established by buttons of 
that corps found within its limits. It was, no doubt, the landing 
place for lioats coming up the Harlem and probably the temiinal 
of the fcri'v from the Fdrdham side of the river. A mass ef 



t 



187 



Relics of the Revolution 



uvster sliells and other refuse existed very near this point on the 
bank of the Harlem Kiver, and indicates its prior occnpation by 
Indians, although it is quite likely that some of the shells were the 
result of the presence of the troops stationed at that point between 
177G and 1783. 

The camp refuse was nidst alannlant in tiie vicinity of the large 
cedar tree about iifty yards north tif the two other cedars which 
stood just on that point where the wagon track road wound around 
on the shore of the Harlem. Very few objects were found on the 
north shore of Sherman's bay. The search for military buttons 
was made at first in the roadway on the shore of the Harlem 
between the cedar trees. Later, some excavations were made into 
the river bank, but before much had been accomplished the whole 
point of land was graded away to the level of the streets. During 
the progress of the rcmnval of the knoll on the Point, a human 
skeleton was discovered, and a brii-k platform was also uncovered, 
which was located al»out S feet beneath the surface (i.f the knoll, 
probably the floor of one of the huts. A small and much damaged 
cannon and a rude halberd were found very near the tall cedar 
tree, and are now in Van Cortlandt mansion. Several English 
coins of the period of William TIF, of Geoi-ge IT and of George 
IIT, were found near the two cedar trees at tlie extreme ciul of 
the Point. In the river bank a few yards north of these two trees, 
the complete bowl of a white clay pipe, bearing an English crown 
and other ornamentation, M'as unearthed, and at the same spot was 
found a Hessian coin known as a Heller, near a large Spanish silver 
coin, while a smaller Spanish silver piece was found about sixty 
yards to the north. Xear the little house once occupied by ilrs. 
Rowley, a cannon ball was dug out of the river bank. 

Upon the surface of the soil, gun-flints and bullets, plain Hessian 
buttons and an English penny of 1774 were picked up, and on 
the side of the knoll facing towards Sherman's bay, a bayonet and 
a bill hook. These object-s sufficiently indicated the use of the site, 
and from time to time the disturbance of the surface brought to 
light additional evidences on the easterly side of the knoll facing 

1S8 



Holland's Ferry Camp 



the Harlem River, such as knives, spoons, forks, scissors, jews- 
harps, shoe buckles, tent-spikes, broken tea-cups and fragme-nts of 
various objects of pottery and glassware. 

During the years 1892 to 1894, IMr. Calver was successful in 
tinding buttons of the following corps: 

3rd Regiment of Foot 

4th Regiment of Foot or King's Own 

10th or Lincolnshire Foot Regiment 

33rd Regiment 

Several buttons of the It. P. or Royal Provincial Regiment, 
(the New York Tory Corps) 

Ai\ officer's gilt button of the Second Dragoons 

And one of the Third Dragoons; two cavalry regiments which 
were not present in America, indicating the presence of detached 
officers. 

In the summer of the year 1904, with the aid of Dr. Edward 
Hagaman Hall, Secretary of the American Scenic and Historic 
Preservation Society, a systematic excavation was commciiced of 
the undisturbed portion of the Point, in the hope and belief that 
all the secrets of occupation of the camp site had not as yet been 
brought to light. The result justified expectations. 

It was on a hot Sunday afternoon that the party arrived on 
the spot and discussed the prol)abilities of the place and the best 
method of starting the exploration. A hole was dug in the small 
portion of the river bank which had been left undisturbed, and 
a few indications wei'o discovered sufficient to induce some fnrtlier 
work. Starting haphazard in the coarse turf at the north of the 
roots of the only remaining cedar tree, it happened that from 
almost the first turf cut out and shaken, there fell a small hut 
finely preserved button of the 10th Regiment. It only needed such 
an indication to incite the workers to serious efforts, and a plan 
was laid out to cut exploratory trenches in several directions. The 
work was rewarded with astonishing pleutitude of material results, 
for the first trench extended into a mass of debris whicli had 
evidently formed the center of a large pit, perhaps thirty feet in 

189 



Relics of the Revolution 



diameter, into which had been tlirown and pvubiiljly burnt all 
kiiuis of nniterial and objects connected directly or Indirectly with 
ilie life uf the s<ildiery. 

The method uf sifting the cxcaN-ated material had been only 
recently adopted at that time, bui it- -iicc<-~ \va- -u ~i rikiiii;ly 

evident that it^ ii-c ba- -iiicc been nc ,it' l1ic dctiiiitc fcMtiire- 

iif thi- Ikpe of discovery. • 









,,> :;,,,,r.it.il Unit. .11- r. Mill, I al l|..|hin,l'- l",-i n ( ..ii.; 
•M Diii^'cjoiKS ■2:\i\ Wi-l-li I'li-iliii- Jntli I aiiiciuiiiini- 

i;_>,| Voot la.wil ri..\iM. iiil- I". S. ( oiitiiii-iilal 



I'll the li>t (if re,i;inieiital biitlnn> already secured tiie wm'kcrs 
added the followin;)' on variuns ixrasiinis during the summer and 
fall of r.t(»4. and in the spring <>( lUti.", : 

."ith Kegiment id' V<>n{ ( birge I 
ITth Kegiment of I-'ont i |iri\ate"- i 

l':;rd Kegiment of Foot or Welsh Fnsiliei- l I private) 
oTth Keginient of Foot ( 1 officer's silver button i 
tjiid Kegiment of Foot ( 1 ]irivate i 

.Vn nrnamental jiewter buttui I uiiidentitied Imf |iiob:ibl\ lli'-- 
<ian ) 

A, bone-backed brass butinii bearing the design of an urn. 

1".H) 



Holland's Ferrxi Camp 



The presence of the button of the fi2nd, which regiment was in 
Bnrgoyne's army, can be acconnted for only In- the supposition of 
one of its members escaping from captivity. 

Two small bntto«s were foinul, having a porcelain surface, on 
which is painted in colors a view of a sail-boat, the face licing 
secured within an open-work front of filagree bi'ass. 

With these were sifted out many plain buttons oF pewlcr and 
brass, large and small, some (if tbcni evidently of the class 
attributable to tlic Hessian soldiery. .\ Ikhic button mould hiy 
among them of similar character to those of wbicli the iiiann t'aiTure 
was carried on at the camp site at KiSth Street. 

Some other cui'iosities were revealed in scraps of silver braid 
and cord, oitf links of several patterns and a small crystal jewel, 
probably a seal, cut intaglio with the head of a gentleman of the 
Colonial period, his hair tied with ribbon in a queue. Among 
the buckles for shoe, knee and strap lay part of a pewter brooch 
foi'med like a butterfiy. indicating the presence of :i woman al llic 
camp. 

The camp life of that strenuous period was well illustrated by 
the ruder materials which told the story of the glowing eauip tire 
round which the soldiers grouped as their food was cooked, or as 
their meal ended they warmed themselves, smoked tiieir jiipes and 
exchanged their opinions, llei'e lay, as they had fallen in tlii> 
heated a.shes, fragments of burnt brick, forged nails of all sizes, 
hooi> iron bent into kettle and pot hooks, both long and .short ; soane 
ingeniously twisted to serve as supports for several utensils, with 
fragments of the great iron pot in whieli pei'haps the regimental 
mess was cooked. 

Mingled with these were the I'emains of many a bygone feast, 
(jnantities of oyster shells, some of prodigious size, clam, scallop 
and mussel, turtle carapaces, beef, pork and chicken bones, and 
numbers of peach pits, testifying to the variety of edibles femnd. 
stolen or purchased and enjoyed alike by officers and men. 

Here and there were the implements used in the feast, the two- 
tined iron forks, the pewter spoons, the rusted table knives ami 

191 



Relics of the Revolution 



horn-handled clasp knives of the soldiers, with broken china plates 
and dishes, pots and pans, of all kinds of makes, coli>rs and tilazing, 
some of the jwrcelain of surprising fragility and excellence of 
design. iSome fractured tea-cups and saucers looked as though 
they had deserved more delicate company, and were associated 
with scraps of sheet lead sucli as i> used \u pr(]vide the cdvci-ing of 
packages of tea, perhaps some of the very material which caused 
-d much of the antniinnism that ii)Tcr'<k'd tiie strife. 

But so far as mute evidences can go, it is safe to assert that tlic 
principal liquids used for refreshment were those contained in the 
black bottles, countless fragments of which lay l^eneath the sod. 
Here and there were pieces of wine-glasses from which we may 
suppose the contents were sometimes imbibed, to the liealth of King 
George. 

Around the camp-tire after the meal the men enjoyed their 
rest with a smoke, abundant evidence of which was found in 
broken stems and bowls of clay, some bearing tlie trade-mark 
■■ \V. (j.'' found in nearly every camp site of the period, and 
among objects of a similar purpose was a fragment of a silver 
snnrt'-box bearing unfortunately only the last four letters of the 
owner's name in script, " ilev." 

The charm of nuisic was not entirely absent from the rough 
camping ground, for the jews-har]i. of which a specimen was 
found, was available, and wlicn that diversion failed, a game with 
marbles would while away the time, or fishing with one of the 
lead sinkers di.scovered, woidd atlord both leisure and profit, to 
judge liy the fish bones left behind. 

Such objects were not the least which failed to escape the watch- 
ful eyo and the searching sieve, for brass pins of the clumsy tvjje 
of the period were secured and a rusty razor blade attested the 
presence of the regimental barber. 

Scattered among all these was the frequent bullet, the grape- 
shot and gun-flint, with scraps of sheet lead .supposed to have been 
sewn into clothing, and a coin or two that had slipped from the 



11)2 



Holland's Ferry Camp 



pockets of the latter. One of these was a copper coin, of the size 
and appearance of a British pennv, stamped deeply with the tigure 
1. Of all uf these materials, samples were preserved for exhibition 
as a means of indicating the life and habits of the soldiery. 

The fact that buttons of the 10th Regiment were numerous at 
this camp draws special attention to their presence in the ueigh- 
bdihotid. The regiment was one of those composing the force 
under Lieutenant (jieneral Earl I'ercy in Harlem at the time of 
the assault on Fort Washington in which it took part, but early 
in the month following that event it was sent to llhode Island, so 
that they could have liecii only abouf three weeks on this island. 
Their service occujticd tlii'm iheicafter in >;ew .lersey, uji to the 
time of the evacuation ol Philadelphia in ITTS, and in October 
of that yeai' they had lost so many men that the regiment was sent 
to England. Men who were tit for further service, however, vol- 
unteered into other ciu-ps, and served to the end of the war. It 
woidd seem, therefore, that these buttons came from those trans- 
ferred men, and we may assume that they were enlisted in the 
cor{)s of the Koyal Provincials, of whose buttons the same place 
has given up nuni(>rous specimens, closely associated with those 
of the lUth. 

The theory is contirnied by discoveries of other buttons of the 
corps at points where IL i*. buttons were also found not only at 
Fort Washington and Fort (icorge, but also on the shore of the 
Niagara Iviver in front of old Fort Ju-ie. The lioyal Provincial 
corps or " Loyalists "" as they were customarily i-cferred to, was 
a Tory organization, recruited chieHy in Xew York. 

Of the buttons of officers, one of the SOrd belonged to a fellow 
officer of Lord C'ornwallis, and that of the 20th to a member of 
the same corps as that in which Andre acted as Major. 

Perhaps the strangest tind of all was buttons of the U. S. A. 
or Continental A.rmy, indicating the presence of an x\meriean 
prisoner, for such Inittons were M'orn by the American soldiers as 
early as 1777. It would seem as if more than one such person 

193 



Relics of the Revolution 



luid been present in the vicinity, for specimens of IT. 8. A. buttons 
were found in the 17th Keginient camp on Seaman Avenue }iear 
Academy Street, and also on the westerly side of the King's 
liridge Road (Broadway ), near the junction of Sherman Avenue. 
Other specimens again have been discovered in more appropriate 
surroundings at Stony Point, at New Windsor and in American 
camps in the Highlands on the Hudson. 

The halberd found at 201st Street is a crude atfair and had 
evidently been forged in camp. Halberds were carried by ser- 
geants only. These weapons, which had staffs seven feet long, 
were not entirely abolished until 1790, when pikes were intro- 
duced — a much lighter weapon, but these in turn were done away 
with about the year 1S;]2. A form of punishment known as 
■■ bringing to the halberds " was in vogue in the British army in 
the 18th century. It is supposed that the sergeants' halberds 
were fastened together as a sort of cross, and the culprit being 
bound to them was stretched out and flogged. In his history of 
the 42nd or Royal Highland Regiment, Aii-chibald Forbes says: 
'' So high was their sentiment of honor that if a soldier was 
brought to the halberds, he was regarded as degraded, and little 
more good was to be expected of him." 

Among the refuse at 201st Street there were many objects 
nther than the officers' buttons referred to, to suggest that the spot 
had been more particularly a headquarters, rather than a general 
barracks. Digging in tlie side of the bank facing towards the 
llarlem, the fragments of many delicate specimens of chinaware 
were found; also .small jewels of glass and natural stone, several 
varieties of linked sleeve buttons, one pair of which bore the 
familiar S(|uare and compass of the ilasonic fraternity. One 
relic, the base and lower portion of a wine glass, is worthy of 
special mention with its lace-like interior spiral design. Other 
specimens of such glass have been found in the site of Bronck's 
house, ^lorrisania, at ISOth Street near Fort George and other 
■ •amp sites. These objects of china and glass are, of course, not 



194 



Holland's Ferry Camp 



the natural adjuncts of camp life, but are doubtless portions of 
the loot secured from residences which were broken in use, or 
abandoned upon the a}>proach of the enemy. 

B_v all these humble objects and often fragmentary materials, 
there has been afforded the means of reconstructing to some extent 
the life of the soldiery and of casting some side lights upon the 
military events of tlie ])eriod, which, while not of large importance 
or perhaps of wide liistorical \:iliic. may nevertheless serve the 
useful purpose of directing attention more closely to those great 
historical events which were proceeding to their final issue, in 
which the occupants of the Camp at Holland's Ferry bore their 
part. 



195 



XVII 
THE NAGEL HOMESTEAD OR "CENTURY HOUSE" 

The last d;iy.s of tlic vcai' li)U7 saw the entire rciiuival of oni' 
of tlie oldest and most intei'estiiii;' homes of the early settlers of 
ilanhattan, the Old Xai;el JUmiestead, or " Century House, "" at 
2i;ith Street, on the liank of the llarlein Kiver, which was erected 
hv Jan Nage! in ]7-"!(i. 

Fortunately, for two years prior to this removal, practically 
evei'v foot of soil mi the river hank hy the ruins uf tiie house was 
dug over and sifted, with the result that nntny ohjects illnstratintr 
its past career were recovered. 

The little knoll on which the oM huilding stood wiis, evidently, 
long prior to the advent of tiie settler, a favorite haunt of his red 
predeees.sors, and the Indian ohjects there indicate its nse as a 
residence and fishing place and the scene of ceremonial events. 

.'\t the time of the Revohition, the house, then 40 years old, was 
occupied hy the three surviving .sons of Xagel, all of whom were 
bachelors and remained so to their respective deceases, which to<ik 
place in iTStl, ISUO and ISCs. 

Around the abandoned and ruined dwelling it seemed proliahh' 
that there might lay evidences of its past, concealed beneath the 
sod, the hrand)h>s and trees which covei'ed the once jileasaut garden 
and trim patch in front of the old porch and down the riv(M- liank ; 
nor were these expectations disappointed. 

The habits of farm resident^ in i;erting rid of hou<ehohl debris 
and rulibish liy castiiii; them out upon the neai'Cst vacant -pace, 
especially in the winter time, was considered liy -Mr. W. 1.. ('alver 
to he likely lo have been followed by the Xagels, and thai many 
traces of the past might thus be expected to be found on the 
sloping bank towards the river. 

("ommencing, in pni'suance of this idea, at a point on the crest 
of the hank about ."lO feet south of the old p'U-eh, the removal of 

19G 



The Nagel Homestead, or " Cenlurv House " 



the s^ods sodii disclosed signs of occupation, in great oyster shells, 
meat bones, broken pewter, earthenware and china of early manu- 
facture. 

A yard or two of digginj;' clciircd tlic top istcp of a small Hight 
of stone steps which leil down to a small floored space evidently 
part of an old dwelling, a complete surprise, since every trace of 
aiiv structure was entirely absent at the surface. 




Excavating Itinii-d Dwelliiif; Xcar tlio Xagel (ir Century House 



The steps were 3 feet 3 inches long', and about 1 foot wide; 
at the foot was a stone slab about 4 feet by 3 feet. The little 
room had been about 13 feet by Iti feet, and on the east side was 
a small fire2>lace 3 feet by 2 feet, its walls and hearth laid with 
old red brick. The rest of the walls were of rough stone, and at 
intervals on the floor level, bricks were laid which evidently had 
at one time formed part of the floor surface. 



Relics of the Revolution 



Quite a harvest of old objects lay within the space. A quan- 
tity of old barrel hoops, which had held together barrels of liquor, 
powder and flour, lay around, and anions: them two liayonets and 
the hammers of several flintlock muskets. 

In the fireplace lay two lU-jxiund navy harshot, which had evi- 
dently. been utilized as Are dogs, with the charcoal of the last fire 
kindled about them. Below the sandy floor lay a speaking re- 
miiuler of the Tlevolution, a large part of an exploded shell, which 
had burst through the building and buried itself deep below. 

Some British penny pieces of George 1 1 . and sundry bullets told 
of the presence of the British troops, but the most undisputed evi- 
dences of their one time jireseuce were the numbered pewter buttons 
of the Tory Regiment of the Koyal Provincials, and, by the steps, 
buttons of the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers, bearing the three feathers of 
the principality, and others of the oStli and ."iTth foot regiments. 
The workers were fully repaid for a good deal of hard but inter- 
esting labor, and even ladies who came to witness the work shared 
in the results, for Jlrs. Place picked up from the steps several of 
the old clumsy pins of the Colonial period. 

We may conclude that the family remained at their home dur- 
ing that restless period, and probably, because otticers were quar- 
tered there, managed to preserve their property from the destruc- 
tion that befell other houses. It is stated that, prior to the fall 
of Fort Washiugtou, (Tcneral William Heath made the farm house 
the headquarters of his divisiou of the .\merican Army, and, as 
the Xagol brotbci-s aj)pciir to have bi'on prosperi)us people, their 
biuuc ])riibably jircsentcd nmro chance of comfort than the inns 
along the King's Way, and was, therefore, utilized as the quarters 
of some of the superior otliccrs who were stationed at this rather 
exposed part of the islaiul. 

That such was the case is indicated by the presence of the ofllcer 
of the iTth Light Dragoons, that notorious British cavalry corps, 
who lost one of his silver buttons hard by the house, and some other 
[Ki-sou of (puility. whose bandsomc sleeve link, of French patt(U-n, 



198 



The Nagel Homestead, or " Cenlurx) House " 



was lost in front of the old porch. This interesting object bore 
the date of 1774. On the one plate was the head of Louis XV, 
with the legend " Lnd. X\'. DG. FIl. ct MAV. KEX," the reverse 
npon the other plate reading, •' Iniper. 1774, CUES. REGM. 
VIXG." aronnd the royal crown and arms of France. 

At the west end of the porch, under the shade of the old trees 
which, with their predecessors, had sheltered the occupants from 
the sun of many a summer day, were found quantities of old brass 
pins of crude numufacture, perhaps dropped from their work as 
the women folk sat in the shade on summer evenings, and with 
them lay a button of the Soth Koyal Edinburgh Volunteer Regi- 
ment, perchance dro}iped by some loafing member of that corps, 
as he whiled away his time chatting with the Xagels. 

These objects led Mr. Calver to determine that, together with 
officers, a guard of soldiers had in all probability been stationed 
at the homestead, and his instinct for location led him to sumiise 
that they would have been likely to make their quarters below the 
shelter of the sloping bank nearer the river's margin. 

Taking a spade, the explorer selected the most likely looking 
spot for such a purix)se, and had the good fortune to dig directly 
into the hearth of a rough stone fireplace which had been the 
center of the (puirters of the rank and file of the British guard. 
Around the charcoal still lying on the floor of the fireplace 
were the broken clay pipes, the broken rum bottles, the bullets, 
flints, shoe and belt buckles of the soldiery. Buttons, plain and 
ornamental, silver and pewter, proclaimed the presence of Hes- 
sian mercenaries, and among the deliris were buttons of the pri- 
vate soldier of the ir»th, the 47th, the Royal Provincial Regi- 
ments, and the 17th Light Dragoons. 

Digging wide, and sifting every spadeful of the rich loam, the 
searchers found the debris of the Colonial and Revolutionary 
periods strewn broadcast below the surface soil as they proceeded 
slowly over the surface of the bank. Layers of loam containing 
Indian chips, flints and arrows, other layers with early American 

199 



Relics of the Revolution 



eartheiiwarf. tine pieces uf hand-painted china, old knives and 
forks of all kinds and patterns, pewter spoons, china plates and 
dishes, wine c'lasses and rougli steins proclaimed the times of 
ample feasting and reckless destruction of good household mate- 
rials. Everv here and there were hnllets, new and used, heaten 
and iMit liy idle soldiers, sometimes cliewed to mere ragged slugs. 
with line sinister-looking Imllet liaving :i large forged nail securely 
ilriv'en inin it. Iving in I'lusc pruxiinity to hiittons of thi'cc liritish 
regiments. 

Hroken gunlocks, mie of wliicli held tiie tliur wirliiii its jaws, 
r<inn(l shut and grapeslint lay around, and among tliem a Imtton 
marked 1MB, prohahly tiiat (if one uf the hrst American corps 
to lie equipped witli uniforms, the 1st Maryland Battalion, which 
distinguished itself liy its heroic defence of Fort Tryon in the 
Battle of Fort Washington. 

Coins of William and .Mary, of George of Hanover and First 
of England, (ieoroe 1 1 antl Georae III. with hone buttons such as 
the military used to cut out of meat bones for the repair of their 
clothing, were found at various points. 

Thus we worked back to a second old l)uried building and 
uncovered a long line of stone wall, finding the rough and lime- 
washed plaster still adhering in places. At the corner of this old 
basement was another stone tirejilace in which lay a long bayonet 
which had been bent to form a hdnk for lifting pots otf the tire. 
.\iuiiug the stones of which the wall was built was a hue Indian 
|icstlc. and dumped inside its walls were masses of great oyster 
shells, bones and broken china, pitched there after the building 
had been finally disused or destroyed. 

Some of the old leaded window-panes were found, and quantities 
of tine hand-forged nails, hinges, bolts, locks, and farmers' tools, 
wliile llie cavalry left behind them spurs, saddle irons, strap 
l)uckles and we found a llax com!) made of tine nails driven 
through a once existing wo<iden back sheathed with sheet metal. 

•>0(i 



The Nagel Homestead, or '* Century House " 



Over the sloping bank, a crop of young suiiiaeli trees had grown, 
and gave a welcome shade to the interested workers, who, dttring 
two years, on all available week ends and holidays, dug, raked, 
burrowed, sifted, and sweated, happy if a day's labor should add 
another visual emblem of the jiast to the growing know'ledge of 
the history nf the Heights, and should rescue from the threatening 
and now consummated destrnction some evidences of the varied 
existence of the Indian, ])utch. Colonial and Alilitary occupants 
of the old Centurv ITonse. 



L'Ol 



XVIII 
THE EXTERIOR FORTS AND ENCAMPMENTS 

Tlio military defense of upper Mauliattau naturally required 
fortilications and eneanipnients on tlie exposed hills around the 
Harlem and Spuyten Duyvil, both for the defense of the King's 
Bridge and the general position. The hill tops are nearly as high 
as Fort George and Fort Tryon, and the approaches hy land and 
water could be more or less commanded from theiu. In 177(3, 
therefore, the American Ai-my commenced the constructi(Ui of Fort 
Independence, and in connection with it, a series of minor forti- 
fications extending from the Hudson to Fordham Heights, now 
called University Heights. 

These were numbered in order from 1 to S with others such as 
the I'riuce Charles redoulit on .Marlili> Hill, the Iving's Redoubt 
oil Fordham Heights and auother known later as the l^egTO Re- 
doubt. Unfortunately for historical preservation, the sites of these 
forts upon the commanding eminences attracted the owners of the 
property in deciding on sites for their residences, and with few 
exceptions large houses were bnilt on the forts, with ruinous re- 
grading and destruction of their interesting form and character. 
In Independence the Giles family built a large house and luit 
little trace of the rampnrts of the fortification are left. 

IS^uniber One, on Spuyten Duyvil heights, which appears to 
have been somewhat nnusual in character, being constructed of 
■(tone. Iiccame the site of a residence jnirtly built ui)ou it, and now 
occupied by Mr. William ( '. Mnscbenheim. 

.Xumlier Three was dismantled to provide stone for the con- 
struction of the Sage residence on what is now Arlington Avenue. 

Xumber Five was graded away in the grounds of the Claflin 
estate, and Xumber Eight fell a prey to the construction of the 
Schwab ^lansion, while Numbers Six and Seven disappeared in 
other property or residential improvements on Fordham Heights. 



The Exterior Forts and Encampments 



Of all the series, oiilv the site of X umber Four has been com- 
pletely preserved, as the situation led to its inclusion in the lands 
taken for Jerome Keservoir. in which, however, it was not 
recjuircd, and so has fallen at last into the hands of the pnblic as 
l^art of a public park, hearing the historic name of the Fort. 

The exact location of the fortification known as Fort Swartwout 
or !Xo. 2 on Spuyten Duyvil Hill of the Revolution had been a 
matter of doubt until a careful survey of the place was made by 
Dr. E. If. Hall, with the aid of maps discovered hy him at Wash- 
ington. F.xploi-ations iij)on its site yi('ldc<l evidences of military 
occupation which conclusively established its character and position. 
The site was visited in 1907, when the shape of the outlines 
strongly suggested the construction of a redoubt, but in the absence 
of any surface indications, uo attempt was made to explore 
below the surface. 

Success on the site of Fort A'o. i in lit 10, led to an eti'ort in 
1911, to decide the military character of Fort Swartwout. The 
site is in a field upon the .fohnson pmpcrty north of 22Tth Street 
and between Spuyten Duyvil Parkway and .Vrlington Avenue. 
The latter is about -I'-W feet east of the east angle of the redoubt, 
and the south side of -l-WiXi Street, if opened, would be aljout 200 
feet north of the northern-most and highest point of the earthwork. 

Salient points were staked out on the rounded line of ramparts 
as a basis of measurement, and thence measured to known objects 
and lines of streets. The contour appeared to lie that of a horse- 
shoe facing due north, which shape agrees with that shown on the 
military maps referred to. The highest point is on a rock at the 
northern end, evidently selected for the purpose. 

The opening of Fairtield Avenue, should that be done, will cut 
into the northwest side of the glacis. The whole construction 
stands on the 210 foot level above tide-water. 

The first excavation was inside the slope of the northern ram- 
part anil at a depth of about one and a half feet, debris was found 
indicating fire; sevei'al hn-ge stones being arranged together with 

20:^. 



Relics of the Revolution 



ashes, charcoal auil a barrel huop, all uf which showed tlio usual 
indications of a fireplace. In this was found a plain pewter Imt- 
liHi with iniii sliaiik, apparently lirssian; alsn luilf a slcc\ r link 
of oruaineutal design, a pike-butt point and a clay [lipe in frai;- 
meuts; musket bullets, and a black gun-iiint, a number of 
foru'ed nails, many pieces of glass bottles, and near by, part nt" a 
carpenter's auger. 

Excavations arciund the iiincr nuirgin uf the bank >liiiwed large 
stones at a depth of about one and a half feet. The inner side 
had probably liecn stoned up with a rough line of rocks, probably 
supporting the sentry walk. Holes sunk in otlu'r parts than the 
north angle failed to ^how iiinch Imried material, except oyster 
.--hells and an m-casional piece of hrick, but there were some indi- 
cations of a mud tluor in the centre of the earthwork, perhaps that 
of a guard house. 

The occupation of the fort was limited in extent and time, and 
it wa> chietly Hessian. This \-iew is confirmed by reference to 
the diary of von Kraftt. who tells ns that the Krh Prin/. regiment 
garrisi_ined this and the other Spnyt(.'n Duyvil foi'ts for several 
weeks, in the yciir 177m ami that early in Xo\-eiul)cr, the Chasscui 
detaclnncnt was ordered to ocrn])y the three fcu'ts, and that he was 
liiniscit' stationed in I'\irt .\o. '2 undri' Kusi^n Zimnirinian. with 
fifty men, acting aU<i as garrison to Fort Xo. •'!. which was only 
about tbi'ce hundred feet away on the edge of the hill overlooking 
King's Hridgc. 

lie speaks of abandoned lints bcliind the forts, which had been 
occupied by tlicir predecessors. :iud in wbi<'h the ('hasseni's were 
ipnirtcred foi- a few days, ere they were turned out to nuike ro(]Mi 
tor a wintei- garrison of men from the ( 'oi-ps du (Jardc. and the 
Mill 1 >onoj) and von rrnmbach regiments. 

Anotlier interesting site which has lieen determined by excava- 
tion. i~ that of the camp of I'jumerick's Chasseur Corps, or the 
Hessian lasers. 



204 



The Exterior Forls and Encampments 



One of the most pictiu'es(|iie bodies of irregular troops, engaged 
in tii(> war of the Kevolntion, was that coniinaiided l)y J^ieut. 
Colonel Andreas Knnnerich, and referred to often as Emnierieh's 
^'ageis. 'i'he personnel appears to have been chiefly that of the 
huntsmen or forest rangers, who were among those enlisted or 
impressed into the service oi the Prince of Hesse Cassel for the 
purpose of their loan to the liritish frown. 

The Yager corps became renowned by its services in nearly all 
the engagements of the war, but that which was best known and 
most feared, was the particular corps formed by the partisan, 
( 'olonel .Kinnicrich, lo which was assigncil the advanced imtpost 
duty in lower Westchester ( nnnty. in opposition ti> the activities 
of the Aaiierican cowboys. 

Till* camp of this corps was just across the Harlem Kiver, at 
the bead of llic l'"aiin('i'"s IJridgc, which is now buried under ^lus- 
coota Street or 225th Street, 'i'he general location is sho\vn in 
that vicinity on von Kraft't's drawing by several huts marked with 
the index letter K., and we may assume they were placed there as 
a guard to the head of the little bridge. The place was indicated 
by Kdsall. the historian of King's Bridge, as a little to the north 
of the road leading from the bridge to Fordham Heights. All 
traces were, however, lost to sight in our times, upon the rough 
and wooded hillside, and it was not until the year 1009 that the 
opening of Heath Avenue, with accompanying heavy cutting into 
the hillside on the east for sand, afforded the means of its precise 
location. Jieing very much occupied prior to that date in Indian 
discoveries at Seaman A.venue, we failed to visit the work of grad- 
ing, though atti'acted by the pi-obabilities of the place. 

On the completion of the work, we were passing along Heath 
Avenue one Sunday afternoon, and discussing the apparent lack 
of any indications, when, at the foot of the bank, one of us spied, 
strange to say, a totally unlooked-for scrap of Indian jiottery. A 
few scratches in the bank above disclosed, with some additional 



205 



Relics of the Revolution 



fragments, a few pieces of the familiar rum bottle of the lievolu- 
tioii, and our scent lieiiiii' quickened, a search was made on the 
hank to the north, where ^Mr. C'alver stund)led on a fine complete 
bayonet. We immediately went to work to trace its original posi- 
tion, and right al)ove the place, near the original line of soil at 
the top of the sand cut, we found a tirejjlace in good preservation, 
formed of rough stones. Here we found the usinil signs of sol- 
diers" occupation, in barrel hoops, pot hooks and broken pipes. 

A, careful investigation of the whole liank followed, in which 
Dr. E. H. Hall took part, and resultcil in locating sc\cral mure 
fireplaces, set in a line, approximately twenty paces apart, run- 
ning along the line north and south of the bank. Two of these 
were quite complete, one in particular, a little higher up than the 
rest, on the hillside above the driveway leading to the Barney 
residence. These yielded l)ullets, chiuawarc. knives and ironwork, 
and from the side of one fireplace, a complete rum bottle, of the 
pint size, which had a round hole punched in it, such as would 
result from the impact of a bullet. 

The renniins of the fireplaces were measured, and found to mark 
the ends of a row of huts, dug partly into the hillside, perhaps 
eight or nine in luimbcr. 

The chain of c.xterioi' furtilication.- iNinstrnctcd in ITTii. mi the 
heights, extending north and east of the upper end of the Island 
of Manhattan, included a redoubt known as Xo. 4, the position of 
which was south of Fort Independence, and about midway between 
the latter and the earthwork, next in the series, known as Fort 
Xo. 5. 

The proximate position of this fortification had been traced 
some years ago by Dr. Edward Hagaman Hall, but it had been 
supposed that the enonnous excavations made in this vicinity for 
the Jerome reservoir, had inchuled and destroyed the site of the 
Fort. It was, therefore, with some degree of surprise, as well as 
interest, that \ipon making an examination of the rocky ground of 
the south side of the completed reservoir, in the year 1907, Mr. 

206 



The Exterior Forts and Encampments 



W. L. Calver found that the site of the fort was entirely undis- 
turbed, and the flag-pole which had long marked the site, and 
which some years ago had been placed on its northerly rampart, 
was still standing in position. 

An examination of the foi't was made and some cni-cfnl nieasiirc- 
nients determined the dimensions and shape of the ramparts. Tt 




l);iiij;liii'i s I.I thr lirvoiutioii :it tin' i.iiaid lli.u?;e in Fori 'K'nmlifr Four 



w;is found that the fort was a cpuidrangular earthwork, about one 
ciiain, or Ot) feet interior dimensions, surroiinded with a ditch or 
fosse, part of which was in good preservation, the general contour 
of the earthworks and ditch being practically complete. 

In the immediate vicinity of the fort, on partially excavated 
ground, a bullet and a few scraps of old china and glass indicated 
the one time occupation of the place and, as it seemed possible that 

207 



Relics of the Revolution 



within the fort itself some lemaius might lie beneath the heavy 
growth of turf, another expedition was organized in Ajn'il. I'.HO. 

An effort was made iirst to clear the bottom of tlic ditch on the 
westerly side, which was found to l)e tilled with loose locks, appar- 
ently thrown oyer the ramparts upon the dismantling of the fort, 
which took place, acc-inxling to^ von Kratl't, in the year 177'-'. A 
search at this point was rewarded only with fragments of the 
familiar rum bottles, and so operations were transferred to the 
interior of the fort ami, at the suggestion of the writer, Ur. Hall 
started haphazard in the middle nf the earthwoi'k, and to the stir- 
prise of all, had scarcely dug nmre tiian a few spadefuls, when red 
bricks were found, and tlie l)utt end of a ])ike ))()iut and another 
pot hook were soon disclosed. Further cxcayations made it clear 
that upon the partially oi^ened space, a mass of broken bricks and 
squared stones had been thrown, evidently the ruins of a guard- 
house. A little further trenching to the south brottght to light 
the I'emains n{ the tire hearth, wliicli proved to be a regularly con- 
structed open tire place, built of Colonial brick, four feet wide at 
the back, and tiyc feet wide at the opening, with a dejith of three 
feet. The enclosed space was tilled with a deep li(>d of wood 
ashes, lying in which were; discovered two or three pot hooks, nine 
butt ends of pikes, barrel lio<i])s, nails, broken and melted bottles; 
and also an iron and a pewter button, both being of Hessian 
character. 

The miture of the place uoav lieing determined, an effort was 
made to clear the ground in an organized fashion, and the sifter 
being brought into play, a bronze coin of the period of George IT, 
with a clay pipe having the trademark " W. G." were soon dis- 
covered, together with Chinese porcelain and other camp debris. 
around the front of the hearth. 

From this time on. at interval- (hiring tlie year lUin, the ex- 
ploration was pursued over the larger part of the interior area 
of the fort, with interesting and valuable results. The excavation 
was hrst carried around the side of the old tireplace. bi'inging to 
light more of the i>ike points, and the tirst of a series of numbered 

208 



The Exterior Forts and Encampments 



military buttons, being that of the 4th regiment of foot, wliich 
was followed by a small gilt button, probably Hessian. 

The 4:th Regiment of Foot, thus rather appropriately associated 
with Fort No. 4, was known as '" The King's 0\\ti," and saw con- 
siderable service in the War of Independence. Under the com- 
mand of Colonel Studholme Hodgson, it landed in Boston in 1774, 
and its Light Company took pai-t in the attack on Bunker Hill. 
It arrived in !New York in time to take a share in the battle of 
Brooklyn, and was engaged at the Pell's Point atfair in October, 
1776, where Captain W. G. Evelyn was killed. After the Phila- 
delphia campaign, in most of the events in which it took part, it 
was back in i\ew York in July, 1778, and probably the buttons 
which have been found at this camp and at Fort George were lost 
at this time, for in December the regiment was transferred to St. 
Lucia. 

At the side of what had at one time been the exterior of the 
chimney, a number of military objects were discovered, in a sort 
of pit, including a musket strap or clevis, a complete brass shoe 
buckle, an ornamental pewter buckle, and the familiar lead clip 
for the flint in a nnisket. the edge of which was cut in a serrated 
t'urm. A bea\'y iron door hinge was prol)ably that of the door 
of the guard-house of which the tireplace had formed a part. A 
tine pair of bronze ouft'-links, with glass ornaments, lay close to 
another bronze coin of George II, near which was a pipe with the 
trademark " P.'' uf Dutch shape, having a small coat-of-aiTus im- 
pressed upon the handle. The next militaj-y button to be dis- 
covered was one ()f the 71st Highland regiment, and as the excava- 
tion was carried around the back of the fireplace, the discovery 
was made that a .second fireplace existed, backing on to that which 
had been excavated. This fireplace proved to be somewhat smaller, 
and bore evidences of having been constructed at a later date than 
the large fireplace. Facing north, in front of its hearth, was a 
floored space carefully laid with flat stones and small spaces filled 
in with half-bricks. A deep mass of ashes formed the hearth, 
within which was a penny of 1773, and a complete pewter spoon.; 

209 



Relics of the Revolution 



Tlic work was then extended nortliward?. over a space which 
had heeii apparently a favorite lounge for the soldiers, and the 
sifter brought out a quantitx- of .-mall military materials. In one 
space, only about two feet square, twenty-tivc bullets were secured, 
and many other evidences of camp existence, including a button 
of the (Uth Musketeers, one of the 71st Highlanders, and another 
of the 4th or " King's Own." 

An interesting evidence of the presence among the soldiers of 
artisans of diiferent trades, was found in the shape df the brass 
part of a shoemaker's measure, and hard by was a fragment of a 
brass rule such as those used by printers to adjust type. 

These objects have l)eeu iilai-cd in public possession in the col- 
lection of the lirunx Society of .Vrts and Sciences at the Lorillard 
^lansion in Bronx park. 

By the fortunate circumstance of the inclusion of the site of 
Fort Xumber Four, within the area purchased by the city of 
Xew York for the constniction of Jerome reservoir, and as a 
result of the interest aroused by the discoveries on the site, the 
interesting remains of this historical fortification are now pre- 
served within a public park. The precise position of the fort is 
770 feet east of the center line of Sedgwick avenue, along the 
southern boundary of the land of the city of Xew York. A small 
part of the rear of the fort extends into the f'latlin property, and 
is not included in the park. This includes the entrance, Avhich is 
faintly traceable. 

The Xew York State Chapter, Society of the Daughters of the 
Revohition, placed a bronze tablet on the face of the rock, at the 
site, on the occasion of tlie dedication of the park, which took place 
in ]\ray, 1014. with appmpriate ceremonies, which included a 
salute by artillery, the first to wake the echoes of the vicinity since 
the guns of the little fort took their part in the War of the Revolu- 
tion. 

Prior to this event, the remains of the tiroplace were restored, 
and the sbnies forming the floor of the guardhouse were replaced. 
the ground was leveled, the ramparts repaired and turfed, the 

210 



The Exterior Forts and Encampments 



wild scrub was removed, and a stairway and path constructed 
from Clailiu place bj which access is afforded to the fort. 

-Fort Independence was the centre o.f the exterior line of fortiti- 
cations, and at the same time the most advanced. Its particular 
purpose was the defense of the Kings Bridge for which its Icx-a- 
tion was admirably adapted. It crowns the sharp end of the 
line of hills that extend along the east side of the Harlem river, 
and overlooks the valley of the Pap-ar-ineniin, the semi-island 
on which the village of Kings Bridge is situated, the favorite 
haunt of the Indian and the choice of Van der Donck. 

I'elow the hill, the Albany Post I'oad made its way on the 
fringe of the marsh, crossing the causeway from the Kings 
Bridge, dominated l>v the guns in the foi't. Half way down the 
rugged hillside, the farm house of the Montgomery family, succes- 
sors of Dominie Tetard, overlooked the valley, the fort being con- 
structed on part of that family's property, of which General 
Richard Montgomery was then the leading representative. 

The fort was built by Pennsylvania troops and militia-men 
under the direction of Colonel RuI'tis Putnam. 

The location is about 1,000 feet north of the intersection of 
Fort Independence avenue, with Sedgwick avenue, and about 
0,50 feet west of the boundary of Jerome reservoir. Just at the 
intersection of these streets, the ground rises above the sidewalks, 
and the banks disclosed from time to time broken Colonial brick- 
work, old plaster, glass and bon&s, with deposits of oyster and 
clam shells. These were supposed to indicate the remains of 
an old dwelling marked on Von KraflFts map, as an " inhabited 
house " in 1779. But no military objects were found in this 
vicinity, though tradition records the discovery of buried guns 
inside the fort, of which two are preserved at the Van Cortlandt 
^Mansion, and from time to time sundry cannon balls have been 
reported found in the grading of streets around the site of the 
fort, in which W. O. Ciles constnicted his residence some fifty 
years ago. 

The most extensive discovery of warlike objects which was 

211 



Relics of the Revolution 



made in the rear of the site of the fort was thei'pfore in tlic nature 
of a surprise. 

It seems a far ery fi'oin any cuiincct inn df the jii-cscnt ilicail till 
warfare in iMirdjx', willi the rmuiins nf the War (if the lu'\-(ihi- 
tion. One day in May, lUiri. a party u{ linys led liy IJi'adsliaw 
I'hnrston, James Knowles, II. (i. Scimers, and otlicrs, resident 




bJiut anil Bcmilis t'duiul al I nit liHli'pnnk'i 



ill the \'icinity, were tired with the ith;'a of miniie warfare, and 
were engaged in constructing a small trench, at tlie head of ('an- 
non place, to the east of the- site of Fort Independence, wlicii 
their spades distnrl)ed a cannon hall, soon succeeded by a nmnhcr 
of other sliot, until their work led them into a mass of almnt five 
hundred solid and hollow shot and homlis buried liclnw the soil 
in a tangled and rusted heap. 

These were being carried away by neighboring residents and 

212 



The Exlerior Forts and Encampments 



visitors, when we arrived on tiie scene and aided in uncovering 
the deposit. 

By the kindness of Mr. James P. Knowles and Mr. Charles H. 
Thurston, the hitter of whom has since become one of our most 
interested aides, about half of the number discovered were set 
aside for museum purposes, and were removed in a wagon to 
Washington's Headquarters, for exhibition and preservation. 

The deposit evidently consisted of materials hastily abandoned 
by the Pennsylvania Iicgimcnt, commanded by Colonel .lolin 
Lasher, who on October liT, lT7(i, on receipt of orders from (Icn- 
eral \\'iisliiaigto.n, destroyed the barracks and abandoned tlie fort 
and its equipment, in advance of the arrival of the Hessian army 
moving in from Wcstcliester county, against Fort Washington 
and its exterior defenses. 

The location of the find in the rear of the fort seems to indi- 
cate that the shot were thrown under some building or tumbled 
into a cess-pit, and were tliereafter undiscovered l)y the Hessian 
and liritish occupants of tlie tort. 

The missiles are of various tyjies and sizes. Two of them 
are large boml)s of about a hundred pounds weight, and about 
ten inches in diameter. Tiiese have two eyelets casT in tlie top 
\i\ wliicli tli('\' rcnld 1)(' lifted. A similar bomb, when found at 
Ticondcroga, still contained some of the iron shot commonly 
described as "graiK',"' often found around tlie Heights. Probably 
these large shells were designed to. be similarly filled. 

Tlierei were numbers of smaller bombs, six and seven inches in 
diameter, and solid shot of various sizes, from six to sixteen 
pounds in weight. 

About sixty bar-shot were included, of which some were of the 
form and sizes ])reviously discovered on the Heights, but fully 
half of the quantity were of a new and previously unknown ex- 
panding type. Two bars unite the half-round heads, each bar 
having an eye or socket embracing the other, so that the two 
heads can slide apart, opening the shot to nearly double its nor- 
mal length, and thus forming a very terrible missile of destruc- 

213 



Relics of the Revolution 



tiriii. These expiuidinj^' shot seem i(t liave been an American in- 
vention, for no sneli fonn has lieen found in any of the forts or 
sites oeenpied bv the invading troops. 

'Hierp were also, two cliain-shot, tlio two ronnd sliot in each 
licing nnited liy a ciiain of seven lin]<s, ingeniously prii|)firti()ned 
so as to close np within the diameter of the shot. 

'J'he discovery of this large collection of missiles has had an 
interesting development. 'J'he New York State Chapter, of the 
l^anghters of the Revolntion, proposed the constrnction of a 
memorial in the vicinity, to include and preserve a number of 
these objects and to mark the site of the fin't. As a resnlt of this 
proposal the Sinking Fund rommission has recently turned over 
to the Department of Parks all the land lying north of Jerome 
reservoir, and to be known as Fort Independence park. In this 
park the memorial is to be erected. Thus, even if the actual 
site of the fort is not eventually preserved, the memorial will indi- 
cate to coming generations the site of this important military 
position, and with the shot and shell placed upon it, it will l)ear 
witness to future generations in no uncertain manner of the 
events wliicli took place during the stniggle for our CVnntrv's 
Librrt\'. 




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